By political reporter Henry Belot.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says the United States has promised to exempt Australians with dual nationality from President Donald Trump’s temporary visa ban.
Mr Trump’s executive order placed a 90-day ban on immigration from seven Muslim-majority nations: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
There were fears that the ban would stop Australians who are also citizens of those countries from entering the United States.
Mr Turnbull said he had been assured by Mr Trump’s national security advisor and Australia’s Ambassador in Washington DC, Joe Hockey, that Australians would be exempt.
We have received confirmation from the White House this morning that Australian passport holders will be able to travel to and from the United States in the normal way,” he said.
“They won’t be affected by the recent executive order regardless of whether they are dual citizens of another country or where they were born.”
More than 110,000 Australian residents were born in one of these seven countries and their ability to travel to the US was in doubt until Foreign Minister Julie Bishop instructed diplomats to secure exemptions.
Canada and the United Kingdom have both said that their dual citizens will be exempt from the policy.
Mr Trump’s executive order also suspends all refugee admissions for 120 days with case-by-case exemptions and suspends entry of Syrian refugees indefinitely.