Re-entry ban
What a re-entry ban means
A re-entry ban means a person may not be granted further visas to return to Australia. This is also known as an exclusion period. This may last for up to 3 years although some people can be permanently excluded.
A re-entry ban may apply, if:
- you overstay your visa by more than 28 days
- your visa is cancelled because you:
- provided false documents or false information
- are considered to be a risk to the health, safety or good order of the Australian community
- are convicted of an offence against a law in Australia
- have breached a visa condition, for example, you worked in Australia when your visa had a no work condition
- no longer meet the
Genuine Student requirement
- fail the
character test.
Avoid a re-entry ban
To avoid a re-entry ban, ensure that you;
- comply with your visa conditions
- leave Australia before your visa expires
- maintain a valid visa while in Australia
- comply with Australian laws
- provide truthful information.
Make sure you know when your visa expires and what your visa conditions are. Look in your visa grant letter or online to check your visa expiry date and conditions.
If we cancel your visa, we will tell you in writing what exclusion period we have applied to you.
Contact the staff at your nearest immigration office if you:
- want to apply for a new visa outside Australia
- are unsure if we have applied an exclusion period.
Ask us to waive your re-entry ban
For temporary visa applications
You can still apply for a temporary visa if you have been banned from re-entering Australia. We will not remove a re-entry ban, but you can ask us to set it aside (waive it).
- Explain in writing why we should consider waiving the ban and give you a visa. The information you provide must be of compassionate or compelling circumstances. Failure to provide this information will result in your visa being refused.
- Provide your written explanation when you lodge your visa application. You can also provide this after you apply but before we make a decision. You must still meet the visa's other eligibility criteria, including our
health and
character requirements.
For permanent visa applications
You can still apply for a permanent visa if you have been banned from re-entering Australia. We will consider your immigration history when we make a decision on your application.
