The next stage of its phased reopening plan would see international skilled and student cohorts, humanitarian, working holiday maker and provisional family visa holders allowed access from 1 December. This has now been delayed until 15 December.
The reopening to travellers from Japan and the Republic of Korea will also be paused until 15 December.
The temporary pause has been authorised by the Australian government in a bid to ensure the country can "gather the information we need to better understand the Omicron variant".
Australia’s border is already closed to travellers except fully vaccinated Australian citizens, permanent residents and immediate family, as well as fully vaccinated green-lane travellers from New Zealand and Singapore and limited exemptions.
All arrivals to Australia also require a negative PCR test and to complete Australian traveller declaration forms detailing their vaccination status and confirming requirements to comply with state and territory public health requirements.
On Saturday (27 November), the Australian government announced, effective immediately, anyone who is not a citizen or permanent resident of Australia, or their immediate family including parents of citizens, and who have been in African countries where the Omicron variant has been detected and spread – within the past 14 days – will not be able to enter Australia.
Australian citizens and permanent residents, immediate family members including parents arriving from these countries will need to go into immediate supervised quarantine for 14 days subject to jurisdictional arrangements.
Anyone who has already arrived in Australia and who has been in any of the affected southern African countries within the past 14 days must immediately isolate themselves and get tested for Covid-19 and follow quarantine requirements which will include quarantine for 14 days from the time of departure from southern Africa.
A spokesperson for the Australian government said: "Australians can be assured that we are in a strong position to deal with Covid and its emerging challenges.
"We have one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, with 92.3% having had a first dose and 86.8% of our eligible population now double vaccinated, and we have one of the only whole of population booster programmes being delivered, with around 415,000 Australians having received their booster.
"We will continue to take sensible and responsive evidence based action, led by medical experts. This will ensure we can open safely, and stay safely open as we learn to live with the virus."
