Advice on Australian state vaccination requirements for labour scheme participants - State and Territory Updates:

Victoria (there are currently seven I-Kiribati PLS workers in Victoria)

 Mandatory Vaccination (Workers) Direction

Any future recruitments to Victoria will only be permitted for workers who’ve had both doses (double vaccinated) by a vaccine recognised by Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (listed above).

Under the Victorian policy, employers are responsible for sighting evidence of vaccination and keeping records. DFAT is advising all Labour Sending Units to scan and collate vaccination records for Approved Employers to sight during the recruitment process.  

Northern Territory (there are currently three I-Kiribati PLS workers in the Northern Territory)

The Northern Territory has announced a mandatory COVID−19 vaccination requirement for workers in certain industries including hospitality—the industry that the three PLS I-Kiribati workers are employed in. Employers must sight evidence of vaccination for employees to continue working in the same role. Workers must have received the first dose by 12 November 2021 and have a booking to receive a second dose by 24 December 2021. 

Western Australia (there are zero I-Kiribati PLS workers in Western Australia)

Western Australia (WA) has announced mandatory vaccination for sectors it deems high risk. Relevant sectors for I-Kiribati workers include meat processing, and hospitality/accommodation workers (first dose by 31 December and second dose by 31 January 2022). DFAT will work with WA to understand and communicate emerging details of the policy.

New South Wales (there are currently 25 I-Kiribati workers in New South Wales)

New South Wales (NSW) announced (15 October) that from 1 November Australians who are fully vaccinated and with a negative COVID−19 test can enter NSW without needing to undertake quarantine. The PM subsequently confirmed via letter to NSW that Pacific workers can access this pathway under the Pacific Partnership Pathway (PPP), which refers to travellers (including workers) from low-risk Pacific countries who are fully vaccinated and can undertake pre-departure testing.

On 2 November 2021 the NSW government announced that restrictions will further ease for those who are fully vaccinated on 8 November 2021, bringing forward the changes originally scheduled for 1 December 2021. For those who are not vaccinated, restrictions will remain the same until the state reaches the 95 per cent double vaccination target, or 15 December 2021, whichever happens first.

Sinopharm recognition

Firstly, on 1 November Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) determined that two additional vaccines would be 'recognised' for the purpose of establishing a traveller's vaccination status. The recognition of:

• Covaxin (manufactured by Bharat Biotech, India) for travellers aged 12 and over; and
• BBIBP-CorV (manufactured by Sinopharm, China) for travellers aged 18 to 60.

The TGA has obtained additional information demonstrating these vaccines provide protection and potentially reduce the likelihood that an incoming traveller would transmit COVID-19 infection to others while in Australia or become acutely unwell due to COVID-19. The supporting information has been provided to the TGA from the vaccine sponsor and/or the World Health Organisation.

Importantly, recognition of Sinopharm’s BBIBP-CorV vaccine, along with the previously announced recognition of AstraZeneca means many citizens of Kiribati, as well as other countries in our region where these vaccines have been widely deployed, will now be considered fully vaccinated on entry to Australia.