Australian Passport Renewel

[Colsie]

So just a bit of a update on my Australian passport renewal.

As mentioned previously, travel restrictions prevented me from going to Manila renew my passport so I was told I could get a Limited Validity Passport. This involved the full passport renewal application online, then printed off form and new photos and send to Manila. Pay the full 10yr passport fee, setup a Skype account and undertake an online interview with the consulate representative. Then I recieved a LVP passport by courier starting the 2 Feb... My old passport was due to expire mid April. 

 

Right, the update. I want to extend my Philippine visa from the beginning of October for 6 months. But, my Aus LVP would expire 1st of Feb 2020. So I contacted the consulate to find out if I could get my full passport without travelling to Manila as there is travel restrictions in place. Maybe, I could extend the LVP. 

Well, no and no. Basically, I have to go to Manila to claim the remaining 9yrs (for free) of my full passport as soon as travel restrictions allow. Also, I now have to reapply for a passport as though I have never had a Australian passport before, including the online application, the printing documents and travelling to the city to post. Worse, I now have to get a guarantor that is a Australian citizen and known me for 12 months or more... I don't have this, so the consulate gave me a list of proffesionals here in the Philippines that will surfice... maybe I can just get an affidavit from a lawyer... Not sure. 

So, if there isn't enough stress and health risk with living here in the shadow of a surging covid pandemic, there's no easy way to renew a Australian passport if you live in the provinces. 

Thoughts people? 

I particularly liked the 9yrs for free they wrote in the email, even though I paid the 300 for the full passport.. 

 

[Jollygoodfellow]

3 minutes ago, Colsie said:

I particularly liked the 9yrs for free they wrote in the email, even though I paid the 300 for the full passport.. 

 

Don't know why they said that when it clearly says you pay the 10 years up front.

As for the rest you would think in this day and age there would be an easier way to do things especially since the situation that has been ongoing.

[Colsie]

1 hour ago, Jollygoodfellow said:

Don't know why they said that when it clearly says you pay the 10 years up front.

As for the rest you would think in this day and age there would be an easier way to do things especially since the situation that has been ongoing.

So basically, if I don't make a new application and travel to Manila before the LVP expires on Feb 1st I've lost my money and have to pay for a full passport again. 

I agree, it should be easier than this, it wasn't my fault I couldnt travel and still can't. Some of us aren't getting any younger. 

I try to understand why they need applicants to come to Manila. It can't be anything to do with identification purposes as they did that online interview. It can't be anything to do with making sure you get your passport as they're happy to send it to you by courier. The only thing I can think of for you to be physically there is if they're going to arrest you lol...

If I could fly out and get back in easy enough I would just come back on my UK passport... 

[Jollygoodfellow]

54 minutes ago, Colsie said:

So basically, if I don't make a new application and travel to Manila before the LVP expires on Feb 1st I've lost my money and have to pay for a full passport again. 

Well if you should decided to travel to Australia before Feb and if nothing changes there is some financial help available. 

Financial support for Australian citizens trying to return home is available. There are two types of interest-free loans available:

Flight back to Australia: a one-off loan to help cover the costs of a flight to return to Australia (you will be asked to repay AUD750, regardless of how much the flight costs, the government will meet the fare difference)
 
Living costs: a one-off loan to cover emergency living costs until a commercial flight becomes available (loan amount is based on family composition and starts from AUD2,000)
You will have to meet strict eligibility criteria. All loans must be repaid. However:

Australian pension holders may be eligible to receive a grant instead of a loan. This means you wouldn’t have to pay the loan back.
Minors (child under 18 years or age) may also be covered for the flights in the form of a grant, which does not have to be paid back.
Payment plans are available.
We encourage you to apply. Once approved, the Canberra Travel Team will book you a seat on the next available airlines, utilising all airlines and destinations available to get you back to Australia.

Please note that the Australian Embassy does not assess or decide on loan applications. For more information, eligibility criteria and to apply, see COVID-19 overseas financial assistance. Email the Canberra Team if you have any questions about the application process financial.assistance@dfat.gov.au.

https://philippines.embassy.gov.au/mnla/COVID19-updates.html#Travelling to Australia

[BrettGC]

And to complicate things, DFAT has just made it harder for Expats to leave Australia to return to their country of residence.  Prior to this, you didn't have to apply for an exemption to leave if you were an Australian citizen or permanent resident living overseas, now you do.  

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/aug/06/australians-who-live-overseas-now-unable-to-leave-country-if-they-return-for-visit

 

Quote

Australians who live overseas may be unable to leave country if they return for visit

Government expands border ban in a move experts say could be constitutionally invalid and unfairly affect Australians from multicultural backgrounds

 

 

Naaman Zhou

@naamanzhou

Sat 7 Aug 2021 13.55 AEST

 

•  
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The Australian government has quietly expanded its ban on Australian citizens leaving the country to include people who are ordinarily residents in another country, meaning that even people who live overseas may not be allowed to leave Australia.

Prof Kim Rubenstein, an expert in citizenship law from the University of Canberra, said the change would unfairly affect Australians from multicultural backgrounds and could be constitutionally invalid.

 

Currently, Australian citizens and permanent residents are banned from leaving Australia, and have to apply for an exemption to do so, which can be granted for employment, study, or compassionate reasons, among others.

 

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However, if an Australian citizen is ordinarily resident in another country, they are automatically allowed to leave.

On 1 August, the health minister, Greg Hunt, amended the legislative instrument that created the overseas travel ban to remove this exemption – and further tighten rules on Australian citizens or permanent residents.

Effective from 11 August, even Australian citizens who are ordinarily resident in another country will have to apply for an exemption to leave the country, and could be denied.

The Department of Foreign Affairs defines someone as “ordinarily resident in another country” if they spent more time outside Australia than inside for the last 12 to 24 months.

Guardian Australia understands that exemptions can be granted after providing ID such as a foreign driver’s licence or residency card, evidence of a tenancy or bills overseas, or evidence of overseas employment.

Australian citizens who are seeking to return to Australia are still required to apply, comply by arrival caps, and pay for their own hotel quarantine. Only Australian citizens and permanent residents are allowed to enter Australia.

Under the new rules, Australian citizens who plan on entering Australia and then returning to their foreign country of residence can apply for an exemption to leave while still overseas – meaning they can attain an exemption in advance.

Rubenstein told Guardian Australia that the government had placed some of the harshest restrictions in the world on its own citizens.

She said criticism of the exemption as a “loophole” was unwarranted.

“It’s not really a loophole, it is the normal rights of a person to travel back and forward to their country of citizenship,” she said. “They have made it even more draconian than it was at the beginning. No matter where you are from in the world, if you land here, you could be trapped.”

Rubenstein said the change would also discourage Australian citizens who had moved overseas to return home, for example, if they had to care for a family member or similar.

According to the 2016 census, 49% of Australians were born overseas or had at least one parent who was born overseas.

“I think the fairness issue comes back to being human beings in a globalised world,” she said. “Australia is a multicultural society. You are severely impacting the lives of people who have families abroad, who want to be able to connect with and spend time with their families in a Covid-safe way.”

On Monday, Hunt made the amendment to a declaration under the Biosecurity Act that first set up the overseas travel ban at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

An explanatory statement from the health department said that people who would be affected “have had substantial time in which to take action under the exemption” since it began in March 2020.

“The exemption was not intended to enable frequent travel between countries,” it said. “The amendment will reduce the pressure on Australia’s quarantine capacity, reduce the risks posed to the Australian population from Covid-19, and assist in returning vulnerable Australians back home.”

 

 

 

According to the statement, the Department of Home Affairs, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet were all consulted about the change ahead of time.

“A person will no longer be able to rely on an automatic exemption to travel overseas where they ordinarily reside in a country other than Australia,” it says.

The home affairs minister, Karen Andrews, said that the change does not stop Australians from leaving the country, but “provides a balanced approach”.

“Travel exemption arrangements have been updated to improve consistency on border measures for all Australians,” she told Guardian Australia.

“This does not stop Australians ordinarily resident outside Australia from departing, however these people will now need to apply for an exemption. These restrictions provide a balanced approach between allowing Australians to travel, if essential, while protecting community health.”

Andrews said the exemptions system was “based on health advice and enables people to travel if essential” but it “is ultimately about keeping Australians safe from overseas Covid transmission”.

But Rubenstein said that the ban on outwards travel for citizens and the further ban on residents of other countries, could be unconstitutional.

“It is questionable whether there is a valid constitutional power to restrict Australian citizens from leaving the country. What is the head of power that is restricting someone from leaving? It can’t be quarantine, because it is not a question of quarantine because you are leaving the country.

“If it is external affairs, it would have to be very closely related to the treaty under which the act is made … And I think restricting people from leaving their own country, you’d need to find something that is directly linked to that.”

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[Clermont]

4 hours ago, BrettGC said:

And to complicate things, DFAT has just made it harder for Expats to leave Australia to return to their country of residence.  Prior to this, you didn't have to apply for an exemption to leave if you were an Australian citizen or permanent resident living overseas, now you do.  

Thanks for that, you'd think there'd be a time frame on that order, it doesn't sound right, I'd imagine it would be the country you're trying to visit that would put the brakes on you're visiting. If the pandemic has settled a bit by Easter we'll be there full time. 

[Colsie]

13 hours ago, Jollygoodfellow said:

Well if you should decided to travel to Australia before Feb and if nothing changes there is some financial help available. 

Financial support for Australian citizens trying to return home is available. There are two types of interest-free loans available:

Flight back to Australia: a one-off loan to help cover the costs of a flight to return to Australia (you will be asked to repay AUD750, regardless of how much the flight costs, the government will meet the fare difference)
 
Living costs: a one-off loan to cover emergency living costs until a commercial flight becomes available (loan amount is based on family composition and starts from AUD2,000)
You will have to meet strict eligibility criteria. All loans must be repaid. However:

Australian pension holders may be eligible to receive a grant instead of a loan. This means you wouldn’t have to pay the loan back.
Minors (child under 18 years or age) may also be covered for the flights in the form of a grant, which does not have to be paid back.
Payment plans are available.
We encourage you to apply. Once approved, the Canberra Travel Team will book you a seat on the next available airlines, utilising all airlines and destinations available to get you back to Australia.

Please note that the Australian Embassy does not assess or decide on loan applications. For more information, eligibility criteria and to apply, see COVID-19 overseas financial assistance. Email the Canberra Team if you have any questions about the application process financial.assistance@dfat.gov.au.

https://philippines.embassy.gov.au/mnla/COVID19-updates.html#Travelling to Australia

Thanks for this information Jollygoodfellow, I was aware of this, but for me it would mean I would have a debt to pay back and I have no intention of going back to Australia. 

What I am interested in is trying to change the current policy of unfairly treating Australian citizens that don't live in Manila and are forced to travel and stay in Manila at their own risk and financial burden. Many expats here in provinces may be not as spritely as myself.

During pre-covid this policy clearly disadvantages Australian citizens that live outside the Manila area, having so much hardship for a 10 minute interview is wrong.

To add the this stress and health risk during the current pandemic is shameful. 

So before I escalate my plight within the consulate, I'm putting up my hand to ask for help and advice from the expat community. 

[Colsie]

OK so yesterday I recieved my new passport valid until 2031. 

The Australian consulate had a change of heart and I was able to renew my passport without travelling to Manila.