Parents to be Granted Immediate Family Status

The news that parents of Australian citizens and permanent residents are now to be classified as the immediate family is being welcomed by many. This will allow parents of the Indian Diaspora to travel within Australian territories and states that have reached the 80% double-vaccination milestone. Up until now, the travel restrictions only allowed Australian citizens, permanent residents, and immediate family members to enter Australia. However, oddly, parents were not classified as immediate family members.

What transpired was a petition, also known as ‘Petition EN2535 – Exemption for parents of Australians and Permanent Residents’. This was sent to the government demanding parents to be granted the status of immediate family. It worked, and now the rules that many found oppressive are gone. Those who arrive in Sydney will not have to undergo mandatory hotel quarantine if they are fully vaccinated.

The strict rules had drawn criticism as being heartless, bringing widespread anguish and heartache for many Australian citizens and residents. The rules have left a bitter legacy; prohibited new parents from seeing their children or stopping the elderly from seeing loved ones in their twilight years.

In New South Wales, the 80% mark is already achieved, and an announcement has already been made. It will allow the reuniting of loved ones and lift the sombre mood that has hung over the country for too long now. While the virus persists, there is comfort in the knowledge families can reunite at last.