Australia’s government has opened its doors to more international students and backpackers after preventing them from entering the country for nearly two years due to the COVID-19 situation.
In addition, while confirming such a decision, Prime Minister Scott Morrison stressed that international students would have their visa application fees paid at the cost of 630 Australian dollars per student, VisaGuide.World reports.
“What we’ll be doing is we will be rebating the visa application fees from all those who arrive today – today and going forward – for students over the next eight weeks, and that is a fee of some $630,” Prime Minister has announced through a statement.The visa rebate initiative will become effective in the next eight weeks and will be organized through the Department of Home Affairs. A total of 56,000 overseas students and 24,000 backpackers are expected to benefit from the visa fee refund scheme in the next eight months, as part of the government’s plan to lure them back to Australia and help the country’s economic sector recover from the damages mainly provoked by the Coronavirus situation. According to the Prime Minister, there are nearly 150,000 students in other countries who hold an approved visa to study in Australia. He hopes that the visa application rebate will push more international students to return to the land down under. Morrison stressed that the country also wants to fill in some of the critical workforce shortages, particularly those who are engaged in health care, aged care and other similar sectors. In addition, the government of Australia will also give a total of A$3 million to Tourism Australia for a marketing campaign that targets students and backpackers. According to Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, such a visa rebate scheme is expected to cost about A$55 million.
“And we’ll be supporting that with a $3 million that we’ll be giving to Tourism Australia to support a marketing program to target backpackers and students to get them out. For backpackers, it will be 12 weeks, 12 weeks from today. If they turn up within the next 12 weeks, they will get their visa application fee rebated by the Department of Home Affairs,” the Prime Minister stressed in this regard.Some visa holders, including international students, skilled workers as well as working holidaymakers, have been allowed to enter Australia without an exception soon after the country lifted its border restrictions in mid-December, provided they have completed their immunization process against the virus. Recently, it was reported that over 2000 international backpackers reached Australia in the first five weeks since the country lifted its border restrictions. In addition, the government also eased rules regarding the operational requirements of student visa holders so they can work more than 20 hours per week.