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Document 1
Submission
For decision
PDMS Ref. Number: MS24-000735
Date of Clearance: 12/09/2024
To
Minister for Home Affairs, Minister for Immigration and Multicultural 
Affairs, Minister for Cyber Security
Subject
Approval of Text: Migration Amendment (Immigration Clearance 
Exemption for Transiting Aircraft Crew) Regulations 2024
Timing
s. 47C(1)
Recommendations 
That you:
1. s. 47C(1)
Migration Amendment 
signed / not signed
(Immigration Clearance Exemption for Transiting Aircraft 
Crew) Regulations 2024 at Attachment A; 
2. s. 47C(1)
 Federal Executive Council Minute 
signed / not signed
Paper at Attachment B; 
3. initial each page of the Explanatory Memorandum on the 
initialled / not initialled
bottom right corner at Attachment C; and 
4. approve the Explanatory Statement, including the 
approved / not approved
Statement of Compatibility of Human Rights at 
Attachment D.
Minister for Home Affairs, Minister for Immigration and 
Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Cyber Security
Signature………………………………………………
Date:……/……./2024
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Minister’s Comments
Key Issues
1. The Department of Home Affairs (the Department) seeks your approval and consideration of 
the text of the proposed Migration Amendment (Immigration Clearance Exemption for 
Transiting Aircraft Crew) Regulations 2024 (the proposed Regulations) at Attachment A and 
associated supporting documents at Attachment B, Attachment C and Attachment D.
2. The proposed Regulations will insert a new item in Part 2 of Schedule 9 to the 
Migration Regulations 1994 (the Migration Regulations), allowing ‘transit aircraft crew’ 
scheduled to depart Australia within 90 minutes of their arrival on commercial passenger 
aircraft to be exempt from the immigration clearance requirement under section 166 of the 
Migration Act 1958 (the Migration Act).
3. The documents for your signature, approval and initials (where indicated) are the:
• Proposed Regulations for your signature s. 47C(1)
 at Attachment A;
• Minute Paper for your signature s. 47C(1)
 at Attachment B;
• Explanatory Memorandum for the proposed Regulations for your initials on each page 
on the bottom right corner at Attachment C; and
• Explanatory Statement, including the Statement of Compatibility of Human Rights for 
your approval at Attachment D.
4. The proposed Regulations will give effect to the former Minister for Home Affairs the Hon. 
Clare O’Neil’s decision on 18 March 2024 to amend the Migration Regulations to exempt 
certain transit or turnaround crew on international carriers from immigration clearance 
(MS23-002161 at Attachment E).
5. s. 47C(1)
6. s. 47C(1)
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7. The proposed Regulations and other accompanying documents have been finalised and are 
ready for your consideration and signature.s. 47E(d)
 
 
8. s. 47C(1)
Background
9. Section 166 of the Migration Act requires any person who enters into Australia, regardless of 
their citizenship status, to present certain evidence of identity and other documents as 
required under the Migration Act and the Migration Regulations to a clearance authority 
without unreasonable delay (‘immigration clearance’). As a result, all commercial airline crew 
members are required to disembark the aircraft, proceed to the immigration clearance check 
point at the airport terminal, collect checked-in baggage (if they have one) and exit the airport 
upon the clearance authority being satisfied of their compliance with subsection 166(1) of the 
Migration Act.
10. For transiting crew members with a turnaround departure scheduled on the same commercial 
aircraft, this also means that they must re-enter the airport security check point immediately 
upon exiting clearance and head back to their boarding gate within 90 minutes.
11. To minimise the spread of infection during the COVID-19 Pandemic lockdown, the ABF 
introduced an arrangement allowing for an ABF officer to conduct face-to-face passport 
checks on the arrival aircraft in lieu of required standard immigration clearance for all 
transiting commercial airline crew. s. 47E(d)
 
 
12. s. 37(2)(b)
13. As such, the Department proposed (in Attachment E) exempting transiting aircraft crew 
members from the requirement to be immigration cleared.
Migration Amendment (Immigration Clearance Exemption for Transiting Aircraft Crew) 
Regulations 2024 (the proposed Regulations)
14. Subsection 168(3) of the Migration Act provides that a person in a prescribed class is exempt 
from complying with the requirement to be immigration cleared. Regulation 3.06 of the 
Migration Regulations provides that each class of person set out in Part 2 of Schedule 9 to the 
Migration Regulations is prescribed.
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15. The proposed Regulations will insert a new item in Part 2 of Schedule 9 to specify transiting 
aircraft crew as the prescribed class that can be exempt from immigration clearance 
requirements.
16. A person will be a ‘transiting aircraft crew’ if the person:
• is employed or engaged by an international air carrier as an aircrew member;
• enters into Australia in the course of their employment or engagement as a member of 
the crew of an international passenger aircraft;
• is scheduled to depart Australia as a member of the crew of that aircraft within 
90 minutes of the person’s arrival into Australia; and
• does not leave the airport transit lounge except to continue their journey.
17. The transiting aircraft crew will be able to disembark the aircraft upon arrival and have the 
ability to walk around the airport transit lounge during the 90 minutes.
18. ‘Airport transit lounge’ is not specifically defined in the Migration Act or the Migration 
Regulations, but is intended to include all areas within the airport boarding area, including 
past security check points and before the allocated boarding gate of that aircraft.
19. A similar provision allowing for an immigration clearance exemption is also available for 
‘transit passengers’ confirmed to leave Australia within 8 hours of their arrival into Australia 
under item 1 in Part 2 of Schedule 9 to the Migration Regulations. The exemption for transit 
passengers has been in place since before 1994.
20. s. 42(1)
Consultation – internal/external
21. s. 42(1)
22. s. 47C(1)
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23. s. 47C(1)
Consultation – Secretary / Associate Secretary Immigration / ABF Commissioner
24.
25. s. 47C(1)
26.
Client service implications
27. By implementing the proposed Regulations, transiting aircraft crew will be exempt from the 
immigration clearance requirement under section 166 of the Migration Act. s. 47E(d)
 
28.
29. s. 47E(d)
Risks and Sensitivities
30. s. 47E(d)
31.
32.
33.
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Paragraph 245LA(2)(b) of the Migration Act in particular requires the operator of the aircraft 
to report on each member of the crew who is on, or is expected to be on the flight, with 
subsection 245LA(5) of the Migration Act and paragraph 3.13D(1)(c) of the Migration 
Regulations requiring such report be given before they board the departing flight.
34. Furthermore, the ABF will maintain their ability to require airline crew to produce identity 
documents by conducting random ‘spot checks’ under section 225 of the Migration Act. 
That provision authorises an officer to require the ‘master of the vessel’ to muster the vessel 
crew and request a member of the crew to provide their identity documents for inspection.
Financial/systems/legal/deregulation/media implications
35. No financial/systems/deregulation/media implications have been identified.
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Attachments 
Attachment A
Migration Amendment (Immigration Clearance Exemption for Transiting 
Aircraft Crew) Regulations 2024
Attachment B
s. 47C(1)
Attachment C
s. 47C(1)
Attachment D
Explanatory Statement, including the Statement of Compatibility of Human 
Rights for Migration Amendment (Immigration Clearance Exemption for 
Transiting Aircraft Crew) Regulations 2024
Attachment E
MS23-002161
Authorising Officer
Cleared by:
Jeremy Wolter
Acting Assistant Secretary
Legislation Branch
Date: 12/09/2024
Mob: s. 22(1)(a)(ii)
Contact Officer: Jeremy Wolter, Acting Assistant Secretary, Legislation Branch, Mob: s. 22(1)(a)(ii)
CC
Assistant Minister for Immigration
Assistant Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs
Secretary
ABF Commissioner
Associate Secretary Immigration
DC Strategy and Capabilities
DC Regional Operations
DS Executive
GM Immigration Policy
GM Immigration Compliance
Chief Finance Officer
GM Legal
GM Immigration Operations
FAS Executive Coordination
FAS Strategy and Policy Division
AS Migration and Citizenship Law
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