Predictions of when international flights may resume/bans lifted

[burmans]

Most Australians want to keep international borders closed, but people like James are still stranded

An Australian stranded in Siberia for more than a year has taken the step of applying for Russian residency, in the hopes getting a Sputnik V vaccine will help him return home.

www.abc.net.au

79% of people who took the ABC Australia Talks survey (60,000 respondents) apparently want the borders to stay shut.

This is just so very depressing. At this rate, we will never get out.

Point in time. What drives polls is inherently backward looking, not least because we can’t predict the future but if one thing COVID has taught us it’s surely that things can change and at times do change fast.

 

[ayushamity]

MSN

www.msn.com

Gladys is seriously the only sane polly. Her respect level in my eyes has gone up and up over the last few months.

 

[hb13]

Most Australians want to keep international borders closed, but people like James are still stranded

An Australian stranded in Siberia for more than a year has taken the step of applying for Russian residency, in the hopes getting a Sputnik V vaccine will help him return home.

www.abc.net.au

79% of people who took the ABC Australia Talks survey (60,000 respondents) apparently want the borders to stay shut.

This is just so very depressing. At this rate, we will never get out.

One of people interviewed in this article is saying that they think the borders should be closed for another 2-5 years. The way things are going, that is what the public wants - borders shut for another few years at least, which is absolutely insane.

I just don't see how we get out of this anytime soon. That mid-2022 date appears to be too optimistic to some of these folks, which is mind-blowing.

 

[serfty]

i wonder about the how the questions are phrased, do i think the borders should be open today? i can see an argument for no.

do i think the borders should be open in 6 months? absolutely.

set the date, let the public know the gates to the global zombie apocalypse is going to be opened and they have 6 months to get immunised

As I've said before in this thread. All depends on how a polll is positioned.

There appear to have been just two question relevant to this - here is how they were put:

Q. Sometimes people's freedoms need to be restricted to keep Australia safe.

A. 5 levels of agree/disagree/neutral/don't know.

Q. How many months do you think it will be before things are more or less back to normal?

A. Series of month ranges/don't know.

 

[Batterytraveller]

One of people interviewed in this article is saying that they think the borders should be closed for another 2-5 years. The way things are going, that is what the public wants - borders shut for another few years at least, which is absolutely insane.

Not realistic but there does seem to be a lot of this sentiment about. I will be gone if that is the case. Neither my wife or I will be able to do our jobs if Australia is sealed off from a normalising world. I’m sure a lot of people with connections overseas, or just with the skills or criteria to get a visa will be looking at their options. We’ll take our economic activity and tax payments elsewhere.

 

[Kimpos]

One of people interviewed in this article is saying that they think the borders should be closed for another 2-5 years. The way things are going, that is what the public wants - borders shut for another few years at least, which is absolutely insane.

I just don't see how we get out of this anytime soon. That mid-2022 date appears to be too optimistic to some of these folks, which is mind-blowing.

I'm starting to feel this way too, it feels as though the country could be closed for years, this would be catastrophic economically but also on the national psyche

Meanwhile:

Covid on the Run (Published 2021)

The pandemic may now be in permanent retreat in the U.S.

www.nytimes.com

 

[JB expat]

Not realistic but there does seem to be a lot of this sentiment about. I will be gone if that is the case. Neither my wife or I will be able to do our jobs if Australia is sealed off from a normalising world. I’m sure a lot of people with connections overseas, or just with the skills or criteria to get a visa will be looking at their options. We’ll take our economic activity and tax payments elsewhere.

Same. No way will I stay here if that is the case. I love it here and love raising a family here but I grew up in America - my entire family is there as well as my lifelong friends. In addition, I need to travel a bit for work (not as frequent as some others, but it is still important that I am able to). I don’t know where I would want to live as living in America isn’t appealing (will leave it at that to avoid politics). Does Canada have a green card lottery? Vancouver would be high on my list and I could do my job from there


I truly cannot believe that so many people think this is the “right” path

 

[SydneySwan]

Not realistic but there does seem to be a lot of this sentiment about. I will be gone if that is the case. Neither my wife or I will be able to do our jobs if Australia is sealed off from a normalising world. I’m sure a lot of people with connections overseas, or just with the skills or criteria to get a visa will be looking at their options. We’ll take our economic activity and tax payments elsewhere.

I agree. I am already investigating unemigrating back to the UK.

 

[luxury-lizard]

Does Canada have a green card lottery? Vancouver would be high on my list and I could do my job from there

As a naturalised Aussie originally from Canada - I do not believe Canada has a "green card lottery" however they do have a system of granting residency to people who invest money in a business which employs at least 3 people (this is a very rough description of the system) - so it's an option. However - best you check out their income tax regime before jumping ship (particularly for retirees - of course that may not be a short term consideration for yourselves).

 

[Amanad78]

I agree. I am already investigating unemigrating back to the UK.

Same. I've been here in Australia for 30+ years. Just re-applied for my UK passport which expired in 2006.
Only thing stopping me is 3 teenagers with 3+ years left of high school.
I just want to see my elderly parents! Been 2+ years now as my annual trip back was cancelled in Apr 20.

 

[Princess Fiona]

ADMIN All of the recent Vaccine posts and discussion of VIC cases is OT

This thread is about resuming international travel.
Thanks

 

[oznflfan]

I don't thing we will have announcement on international border opening until after the election, and Scomo won't want to alienate the sheep. Question is does this Melbourne breakout if it builds number bring forward election or push it back to 2022?

 

[Carrots]

Given we've just had SA shut out Greater Melbourne, again, it's hard to see how we'll see international borders open before an election, even if it is 10 months from now, when we can't even keep state borders open.

 

[ayushamity]

I don't thing we will have announcement on international border opening until after the election, and Scomo won't want to alienate the sheep. Question is does this Melbourne breakout if it builds number bring forward election or push it back to 2022?

The latest the election can happen is 18 May 2022 I believe so it cannot be pushed back.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Given we've just had SA shut out Greater Melbourne, again, it's hard to see how we'll see international borders open before an election, even if it is 10 months from now, when we can't even keep state borders open.

I think part of the problem is defining 'opening borders'. Should we have wholesale opening to tourists vs should we have home quarantine for those fully vaccinated.

Same with states, those vaccinated should be exempt from restrictions.

 

[Flashback]

I think part of the problem is defining 'opening borders'. Should we have wholesale opening to tourists vs should we have home quarantine for those fully vaccinated.

Same with states, those vaccinated should be exempt from restrictions.

Never mind those pesky foreigners who are already fully vaccinated ....

 

[Seat0B]

Same. I've been here in Australia for 30+ years. Just re-applied for my UK passport which expired in 2006.
Only thing stopping me is 3 teenagers with 3+ years left of high school.
I just want to see my elderly parents! Been 2+ years now as my annual trip back was cancelled in Apr 20.

I feel for you. I'm the elderly parent (well a few people have called me that recently, even though at 60 I don't feel elderly!) and I just want to see my son who lives overseas. It's now been 18 months since I saw him and don't think it will happen any time soon with the attitude to border closures that are being publicised. I am so very sick of hearing people talk about overseas travel only in terms of "indulgent holiday makers" and "important business'. One of the key takeout messages that people keep saying they got during the lockdowns is about the importance of family. Well what about my family? It is not indulgent or trivial that I want to see my son, or that he wants to see his very elderly (87, 90 year old) grandparents before they inevitably pass away.

We have had 18 months to work out a way to allow for safe quarantine and family reunions, time that has clearly been frittered away without any noticeable improvements since the (probably justified) early decision to slam the borders shut. That these border closures remain at this point is just wrong, and absolutely dreadful for my mental health as I honestly have no hope of borders opening and overseas travel being allowed in any reasonable time frame at all.

I know I'm not alone in feeling like this, but this is a case where misery really does not love company.

 

[mviy]

I'm really torn as to whether to put in another travel exemption application or not (not a lot to lose with the borders likely to be shut for several more months). I know I'm almost certain to be rejected, but if I do put in an application I'll probably still get my hopes up a little bit only for them to get dashed again. I don't think I'm prepared to risk jail so the NZ loophole isn't really an option for me at this point.

At the moment I have to take things on face value and assume the election will probably be March to May next year (can't see a February election as that would require campaigning in the summer holidays) and that a month or two after that we'll probably get some kind of a vague roadmap about international borders reopening.

 

[oznflfan]

I think part of the problem is defining 'opening borders'. Should we have wholesale opening to tourists vs should we have home quarantine for those fully vaccinated.

Same with states, those vaccinated should be exempt from restrictions.

Can we open borders to let us fully vaccinated out, with home quarantine on return, but lock out all incoming tourists (only letting return fully vaccinated Aussies back in?). I suppose the government can do what they like, having said ZERO benefit in letting us out to spend our money oversea's, and HUGE benefit i letting oversea's tourists in.

 

[Flashback]

Can we open borders to let us fully vaccinated out, with home quarantine on return, but lock out all incoming tourists (only letting return fully vaccinated Aussies back in?). I suppose the government can do what they like, having said ZERO benefit in letting us out to spend our money oversea's, and HUGE benefit i letting oversea's tourists in.

Don't forget there's Aussies (who are not resident) who haven't seen their family for years, who are fully vaccinated, who would also like to be able to nip back home with 'home quarantine'; but just can't see that happening in the Communist state of Australia. Look after our resident citizens only, the rest be damned...