Visitors trying to sneak dodgy goods in to Australia will get their visa cancelled

Is someone you know planning a trip to Australia and hoping to bring in food goods or illicit material? Tell them to THINK AGAIN!

The new Migration Amendment (Biosecurity Contraventions and Importation of Objectionable Goods) Regulations 2019 start on 17 April 2019.

Yes that is a long title but it is a serious regulation and could have severe consequences for you and or your friends and family if you or they contravene the regulations.

Basically these updated regulations allow immigration officers to cancel a visitor visa where the holder is at Immigration clearance and the officer reasonably believes the tourist has contravened subsection 126(2), 128(2), 532(1) or 533(1) of the Biosecurity Act 2015 (the Biosecurity Act). These sections relate to the importation of products which are a danger to our agricultural environment. It is an offence not to answer honestly questions put to you or to provide misleading information, or to try to hide the goods or move them after an officer has said don’t.  

The officer can also cancel a temporary visa where the holder is at Immigration clearance and the officer reasonably believes the visa holder has imported objectionable goods (Regulation 4A of the Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956 applies) and the visa holder doesn’t have explicit permission to import the goods. These goods are typically publications (computer games, computer images, film, interactive games, publications or terrorist related materials) which are obscene, illegal, unclassified or refused classification, violent, or likely to incite drug use, terrorism or other criminal activity.

Where a visa holder has had a previous visa cancelled under these situations will be banned from applying for a temporary visa (typically a student or tourist visa) for 3 years, unless there are compelling reasons to justify the grant of the visa.

Note these regulations do not apply to permanent residents but everyone should always be sensible about what they are bringing in to Australia from other countries and even interstate.