Djokovic Legal Win Prompts Rise in ‘Cancel Australia Visa’ Google Searches

Djokovic Legal Win Prompts Rise in 'Cancel Australia Visa' Google Searches

Despite his legal win in Court it remains doubtful whether Novak Djokovic will be able to play on the Melbourne Open courts because of his vaccine status.

On Monday, Federal Circuit Court Judge Anthony Kelly reinstated Djokovic’s visa and ordered him to be released from immigration detention. According to Reiss Edwards, an immigration law firm based in central London, online searches for “Cancel Australia Visa” increased by 822% shortly after the ruling.

It marked an unprecedented rise in Google searches regarding how to cancel Australian visas, according to an analysis of Google Trends, the law firm says.

“These findings highlight the enormous influence that tennis champion, Novak Djokovic has, with his case prompting a monumental increase in people searching how to cancel their visas to Australia,” said Amar Ali, Managing Director at Reiss Edwards. “It is a testament to the sports champions popularity that he is not only bringing an enormous amount of attention towards the Australian Open, which will likely boost the viewing figures but also creating a wider conversation surrounding visa requirements during the pandemic.

“This case should encourage better preparation and clarity on visa regulations and requirements, which is a vital step that anyone travelling for business must take.”

Australian law requires all visitors to be vaccinated against COVID-19, but there are exemptions that also apply.  Djokovic announced last week that he received a medical exemption to play in this month’s Australian Open, but his visa was canceled upon his arrival.

Although the latest Australian court ruling says Djokovic can play in the Grand Slam, he could still face deportation before the tournament starts on Jan. 17.

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