The Australian authorities has introduced the closure of the Pandemic Event visa starting February 2024 — a transfer that would see a large variety of worldwide college students and non permanent staff scrambling for different choices to stay within the nation.
Also referred to as Subclass 408, the visa was launched throughout the top of the pandemic in 2020 to plug labour shortages and assist worldwide college students who have been unable to depart the nation.
“From February 2024, the visa might be closed to all candidates. It will present certainty to our visa system now that the circumstances that drove the operation of the visa not exist,” Dwelling Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil and Immigration Minister Andrew Giles collectively introduced on Thursday.
As a transitional measure to advertise visa integrity, it was introduced that starting September 2, 2023, the Pandemic Occasion visa will solely be open to functions from present holders.
From Saturday onwards, new functions will obtain a six month visa and an software cost of AUD405 can even be launched to make sure that the visa is simply utilized by those that have a “real want to stay and contribute to Australia“.
As per these new modifications, these with a sound Pandemic Occasion visa will stay lawful till their present visa expires. These with none choices for different visa functions are anticipated to depart Australia when their visa expires.
“The Pandemic Occasion visa was an essential a part of Australia’s visa system throughout the pandemic. Many individuals on non permanent visas helped Australia throughout this era. We’re offering a chance for individuals who maintain a Pandemic Occasion visa to discover one other visa choice, or plan to depart Australia,” Giles stated.
Worldwide college students can undertake extra programs together with their core research known as the “concurrent research” rule, which is designed to assist put together them for the job market by way of brief programs. However the authorities stated current investigations have recognized that many have been misusing this rule to ditch their college programs and completely swap to cheaper programs.
The transfer comes after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese Government lately ended a sequence of Covid-era measures, together with limitless work hours for worldwide college students and work exemptions for Working Holiday visa holders.The Pandemic Occasion visa was initially launched to supply reduction for international college students in Australia who have been unable to depart the nation throughout Covid-related border closures. It allowed college students to reside within the nation for an extra 12 months if their visas expired, and journey to or from Australia a number of occasions throughout a keep.
Arguing that the visa was being misused, immigration and schooling consultants known as for its abolition with quick impact because it allowed folks to work limitless hours for 12 months.
Virtually 60,000 worldwide college students and non permanent staff have been utilizing the visa to increase their keep in Australia, even publish pandemic, in line with current figures launched by the Division of Dwelling Affairs.
The division issued 65,859 pandemic visas from June 2022 to March 2023.
