The majority of Australians returning home from overseas will now have to pay up to $3,000 each to cover their mandatory 14-day hotel quarantine.
On Saturday, NSW and SA joined Queensland, WA and NT in forcing returnees to foot the bill for accommodation and food, while Victoria remains closed to international arrivals.
State and territory governments insist they have given Australians and permanent residents more than enough time to come back and take advantage of free hotel quarantine over recent months.
But stranded Australians across the world have told SBS News it's not that simple during a pandemic.
Ayden feels 'locked out' of Australia
Ayden, who requested his last name not be used, is an Australian working as an aerial firefighter in Alberta, Canada.
After three-and-a-half years abroad, he plans to move back to Victoria soon, partly because his grandfather's health is quickly deteriorating.
"Everyone coming home now are expats ... We aren't travellers, we aren't on holidays," he told SBS News.
"We have lives, we have houses, we have cars and friends and relationships. It's hard to say goodbye to that at the drop of a hat."
Ayden said over the past few months, three of his flights back to Australia have been cancelled and the airline has warned him that his Melbourne-bound flight in August will also probably be scratched.
Sydney Airport earlier in the pandemic. Source: Getty
It means he will likely need to head to Sydney where individuals are now being charged a $3,000 hotel quarantine fee.
For Ayden, it's another contributor to an already stressful situation.
"I simply don't know how I'm going to afford it ... It's been weighing on me quite heavily," he said.
"We understand that quarantine is necessary and we're happy to do it, but if it's mandatory it should be free ... We are Australians, we shouldn't have to be locked out of our country because we can't afford quarantine."
Steph says there's no compassion
Steph Morley, who works as a teacher in South Korea, also said state governments need to understand that many Australians have been unable to quickly pack up and leave since the pandemic hit.
"Many, if not most of us 'travellers', are long-term overseas residents ... For us, leaving wasn't as easy as packing a suitcase. It was packing up a life," she said.
"It helps if you invert it ... I wonder how many Australians [back home] could pack up an entire life in just a few months?"
"In addition, we don't all work six-figure jobs in finance. I'm a teacher, on a small salary, and I face quite a steep financial loss if I end my current work contract prior to August."
Steph Morley is working as a teacher in South Korea. Source: Supplied
Ms Morley said she is relying on money she will receive from her employer in August to afford a plane ticket home, which may cost up to $4,000.
"I wish I could have come home in March. I really do. But I just couldn't afford the financial penalty for leaving," she said.
"Now NSW, the state I planned to fly into, has decided to heap punishment on top of punishment ... I really don't have the money."
She said the combination of large quarantine fees and made her and others living overseas feel "cut off" from their country of origin.
Shann is facing a $2,800 bill
Like many other Australians abroad, Shann Harford had her homeward flight cancelled earlier in the pandemic.
But, she said, one cancellation wasn't that bad, compared to some.
"I know some other [Australians] that have had seven or eight flights cancelled," she said.
Ms Hanford rebooked her London to Brisbane flight for September but the Queensland Government is now charging $2,800 for hotel quarantine.
"It's ludicrous. The cost of the accommodation itself is $140 a night which is what you'd expect, but around $900 for food for one person? Never in my life have I spent that over two weeks."
Ms Harford said the message to Australians overseas appears to be "if you can't afford premium flights and pay for quarantine, then don't come home".
Shann Harford will pay $2,800 for hotel quarantine in Brisbane. Source: Supplied
"This whole thing has felt very alienating - from our country, from our people. We just want to come home to a country that wants us. At the moment it feels a lot like Australia just doesn't want us."
"People are genuinely stranded because they've had three, four, five flights cancelled and airlines are not refunding that money straight away."
"It's been suggested that we're all just deciding to come home now and it's not the case. A lot of us have been trying to make it home for months."
Rebecca says it's not fair on students
Rebecca Gulinello is an Australian who has been studying opera for four years in the US city of Philadelphia.
Ms Gulinello graduated in May but due to the pandemic has been unable to find work in her industry. She said her only option now is to go home to Victoria.
But with the state closed to international flights, she has been looking at flying into other Australian cities.
"Once I heard the news about NSW charging $3,000 for quarantine in hotels, I was completely taken aback ... I've been a student here, I just cannot afford that," she said.
"It's insanity, especially for a student, someone who has not been working full time."
Ms Gulinello is planning to book her ticket home in the coming weeks and said the new financial hit has caused great stress.
Rebecca Gulinello on stage in the US. Source: Supplied
"If I wasn't already starting from scratch [in Australia], I definitely am now with these fees."
What are the fees in each state and territory?
From Saturday, individuals arriving into NSW from overseas will be charged $3,000 for hotel quarantine, with $1,000 for additional adults and $500 for each additional child aged over three.
At the end of the stay, returnees will receive an invoice to pay within 30 days.
But the scheme is not retrospective. Those who purchased their flights before 13 July will be excluded from quarantine fees.
"This, we believe, is fair," NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said when the change was announced last week.
As Sydney is the nation's busiest airport, NSW coffers have taken a hit since the mandatory 14-day hotel stay started earlier in the pandemic.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian. Source: AAP
"To date, the NSW Government has spent $65 million on quarantine accommodation to house international travellers returning to Australia ... The quarantine fee will reduce the financial burden of COVID-19 on NSW taxpayers," a spokesperson said.
"If payment is not received by the due date, Revenue NSW may commence debt recovery action."
But there will be some exceptions for those unable to pay.
"If travellers are unable to pay the full amount by the due date, they may be eligible to pay the fee by instalments under a payment plan," the spokesperson said.
"Hardship applications will be considered on a case by case basis and information on how to apply will be shared in the coming days."
The spokesperson said mandatory quarantine "is needed to stop the spread of COVID-19 in NSW".
Saturday also marks the start of South Australia's paid hotel quarantine scheme.
The Intercontinental Hotel in Sydney has been used to quarantine international arrivals. Source: AAP
The pricing is the same as NSW, with adults being charged $3,000, $1,000 for additional adults and $500 per child.
And people who bought their flights before 13 July will be excluded from the fees.
"The prime minister has said since March of this year, Australians overseas should get back ... He's given them plenty of time - there will now be a charge," SA Premier Steven Marshall said earlier this week.
On Friday, Western Australia began charging $2,520 for an individual, $3,360 for a couple and $5,040 for a family of four.
Queensland started making international arrivals pay $2,800 for one adult, $3,710 for two adults and $4,620 for a family earlier this month.
The NT has been charging hotel quarantine fees since April, at $2,500 per person or $5,000 for a family of two or more people sharing accommodation.
Other states and territories have not yet introduced such schemes and there are currently no international flights allowed into Victoria.
Australians and permanent residents are permitted to enter Australia despite the nation's international travel restrictions.
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