Martin Russell | Novak Djokovic Australian Covid Saga

Immigration Nerds

Welcome to Immigration Nerds, this week's episode centers around the rapidly evolving visa saga between Tennis star Novak Djokovic and Australia, in advance of the Australian Open.

This episode was recorded on Wednesday, January 12th, and since then, the decision has been made to cancel Djokovic’s visa for a second time for entering the country without obtaining a valid covid-19 vaccine exemption. Djokovic will be detained before his case to stay in Australia is heard by the higher Federal Court of Australia. But how we got here is perhaps even more interesting and complex. In our conversation, we walk through the visa timeline up until this very point, focusing deeper into the intersection of where immigration meets, geopolitics, and culture, and talk through what people who plan to travel to Australia in the near future should consider.

EIG's Lead Researcher Luke Bianco hosts today's episode along with Senior Manager - Australia, Martin Russell.