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BRISBANE. — A Melbourne-based immigration lawyer says Novak Djokovic will likely be successful if he applies for a visa to enter Australia for the season-opening tennis major next year despite his high-profile deportation in January.
It could be as simple as writing to the Australian Border Force, explaining his exceptional circumstances and asking for any ban on re-entry to be waived.
The 21-time Grand Slam singles champion wasn’t allowed to defend his Australian Open title this year after a tumultuous 10-day legal saga over his Covid-19 vaccination status that culminated with his visa being revoked on the eve of the tournament.
The meant he could face an exclusion period of up to three years, but Australian Border Force officials have said those can be waived in certain circumstances — and that each case would be assessed on its merits. And Djokovic has a case. He arrived at Melbourne Airport as the world’s top-ranked tennis player with a visa he’d obtained online and what he believed to be a valid medical exemption to the country’s strict laws for unvaccinated travelers because it was endorsed by Tennis Australia and the government of Victoria state, which hosts the tournament.
Confusion reigned, generating global headlines. As it transpired, that medical exemption allowed him entry to the tournament, which required all players, fans and officials to be vaccinated for the coronavirus, but not necessarily to enter the country. It was rejected by the Australian Border Force. Australia’s Immigration Minister Alex Hawke ultimately used discretionary powers to cancel Djokovic’s visa on character grounds, stating he was a “talisman of a community of anti-vaccine sentiment.”
Immigration lawyer Kon-ming Tsai said that in his opinion, it would “be in Australia’s best interests” to allow Djokovic entry for the 2023 tournament. “There is no risk factor here with allowing him back in,” Tsai said in a telephone interview yesterday with The Associated Press. “He’s not going to create a problem for the community. He is one of the world’s best tennis players and will be able to pull in a lot of foreign visitors.”
Djokovic has not officially said if he will apply for a visa for Australia, with his media group in Belgrade saying it so far has no information regarding nine-time Australian Open winner’s plans regarding the January 16-29 tournament.
Australia has had a change of government and changed its border rules this year and, since July 6, incoming travelers no longer have to provide proof of Covid-19 vaccinations. That removes one major barrier to entry for Djokovic.
The 35-year-old Serbian star, who has won recent tournaments in Kazakhstan and Israel, can now apply to new Immigration Minister Andrew Giles to reconsider his visa status. In his favour, Djokovic left Australia quickly after his visa was revoked, he has not publicly criticised Australian authorities and will only be seeking a temporary visa. — AP.
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