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Originally Posted by T3rminator
Someone gave him a visa to come here, and it wasn't the state gov or TA.  No visa, no story. Everything else is just a red herring and good for headlines. |
Fair enough, let's venture down that path. I forgot about this before.
To me, from what I can find, covid vaccination status does not form part of the Visa application.
I squirrelled this up on a search from Tennis Australia and it comes from a Tennis Australia website. Have a read and tell me what is missing.
https://wheelchair.tennis.com.au/med...eet-player.pdf
Not one mention of covid vaccination status. Nothing under the Visa requirements section, nothing in the instructions and nothing in the FAQ section. Under the section "What documents must I attach to my
application for a SC408 visa?" it only mentions a passport and invitation letter.
If you go through every page of the Home Affairs site in regards to the conditions and application requirements, there is absolutely no mention of covid vaccination status. There is mention of certain health requirements, which I'll mention below.
What is mentioned on the Home Affairs Covid travel page is:
Quote:
At the airport
Travellers need to be prepared to present to airlines:
- proof that you meet Australia’s definition of fully vaccinated, or poof that you cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons. For information on proof, see Vaccinated Travellers.
- evidence of the negative pre-departure Covid-19 PCR test undertaken within three days of travel as outlined above.
- evidence that you hold an eligible visa (where relevant)
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https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/p...-from-overseas
Given you can apply and be granted a Visa months before travel, why would covid vaccination status be part of it when it could change? And why would there be a requirement to show covid vaccination proof before boarding the plane if it formed part of the Visa?
It obvious covid vaccination status has no bearing on the granting of this type of visa. Proof of vaccination status or exemption is a requirement at time of boarding and entry at customs. Just because he was granted a Visa, likely weeks ago, did not exclude him from having to comply with extra entry requirements at the time.
So it essentially doesn't matter who, how or why he was granted a Visa. Him having one was only part of the entry requirements. They are not intertwined or one and the same.
Quote:
Originally Posted by T3rminator
As the former Immigration Department deputy secretary said, by law, the process of granting a visa has to take into consideration the health risk that the arrival poses on the Australian public. They either did or they didn't.
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I read that same article and after further research would show it was written in a way as to be disingenuous.
The health risk and health requirements refer to a specific list of tests and requirements to meet a minimum health standard. But it only refers to things like TB, HIV and Measles. But no mention of Covid, vaccinations or status.
https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/help...tions-you-need
It's also possible there were no health tests required under basic Visa requirements because they have been suspended.
https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/help...h-examinations
https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/help...h-examinations
The only way of proving or disproving this is to ask someone who was applied for this type of Visa if there were any covid requirements.
But on what the face of the Home Affairs website says, vaccination status is a separate at the time entry requirement and not a requirement of the Visa application process. Supported by the Tennis Australia Visa Information Sheet which makes no mention of covid as part of the application process.
So we come back to, it doesn't matter he had a Visa, because that is only one part of the entry requirement and not conditional on vaccination status.
But it was acknowledged he did receive an exemption from the Victorian Government. It's probable that he believed this exemption would get him past the ABF. Which also begs the question, why did the Victorian Government setup a panel to process exemptions given Big D's public declaration. If he wasn't given an exemption he probably would not have tried entry.
But its also possible he knew all of this and tried his hand anyways. Nothing to lose but everything to gain if it goes favourably.
I'm done. I've said what I wanted to say. If you want to have one more stab go for it, but I suggest we leave it there.