Offshore Visitor Visa and Travel Exemption Secured for Grandmother and Grandson During COVID-19 Border Closure

Visa TypeSubclass 600

CategoryVisitor Visa

Case Summary

Ms. H and her grandson — separated from their family in Australia by the COVID-19 border closure and the suspension of offshore visitor visa processing — obtained both a travel exemption and a new offshore visitor visa through a compassionate and compelling reasons submission.

Background

Ms. H had previously held an Australian visitor visa that expired in 2018. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she and her grandson wished to travel to Australia to visit her son. However, offshore visitor visa processing centres had suspended operations, Australia had imposed strict travel bans, and neither Ms. H nor her grandson was a citizen or PR holder — leaving no standard pathway for entry.

Challenges

Offshore visitor visa processing centres suspended during COVID-19 — standard application pathway was unavailable
Australia's travel ban required a travel exemption to be obtained before any visa could be applied for
No citizen or PR status for either applicant, restricting exemption eligibility to compassionate grounds only

How We Helped

We conducted an in-depth consultation and identified that Ms. H and her family had been separated long-term due to pandemic travel restrictions, creating compelling compassionate grounds for family reunion. We prepared a detailed compassionate and compelling reasons submission to obtain the travel exemption for both Ms. H and her grandson. After the exemption was secured, we prepared and submitted a new offshore visitor visa application demonstrating exceptional circumstances.

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Key Success Factors

Compelling compassionate grounds identification — long-term pandemic family separation creating the basis for an exceptional travel exemption
Two-stage strategy: travel exemption first, then leveraging the exemption to support the offshore visitor visa application

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Outcome

Both the travel exemption and the offshore Subclass 600 visitor visa were granted, enabling Ms. H and her grandson to reunite with their family in Australia during the pandemic closure.

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