International borders reopening: Australian visa holders make plans to reunite with loved ones

Sophie Raynor cheered on the news from Timor-Leste, where she has been living with her partner, Felix Maia, in Dili.

Raynor endured almost a year of a long-distance relationship during the pandemic until she was able to leave the country in November. Now, when she returns to Melbourne in a fortnight, her partner, a Timor-Leste citizen, will be able to visit her.

The announcement has also been a welcome relief for those on bridging visas like Canberra-based Shorya Prashar.

While most temporary visa holders were granted a reprieve from the hard border in recent months, bridging visa holders have been excluded from the changes until now, leaving them trapped either in or out of the country.

Another person who has a bridging visa, who asked not to be named, has been stuck in Nepal since June because of the ongoing restrictions.

The woman has worked and studied in Adelaide for four years and has been desperate to come back to Australia to continue her career.

But she warned there were others who continued to face uncertainty, including those whose visas had expired while they were stuck abroad during the pandemic.

For Yohana Belinda, the reopening of the border will mark an end to logistical nightmares.

Belinda was living in Melbourne prior to the pandemic while completing her university degree. When Australia began to ban international arrivals, she decided to make a quick trip home to Indonesia.

Others, like Matthew Hiscox, hope the easing of border restrictions will see the end of snap flight cancellations as the airline industry bounces back to pre-pandemic levels.

Hiscox and his partner had flights booked to South America through Latin American Airlines and Qantas to visit family next month. On Friday, the flights were cancelled with no explanation from LATAM. The airline has since cancelled all of its flights out of Sydney for the entirety of March.