60,000 migrants’ Covid visas finally lifted – but they ALL get a chance to stay
Controversial pandemic visas introduced for visitors left in Australia during the Covid crisis will now be scrapped, forcing 60,000 migrants to either transfer to a new visa or leave the country.
Home Secretary Clare O’Neil and Immigration Secretary Andrew Giles announced the closure of visas for 408 pandemic events on Thursday.
As of Friday, new applicants will no longer be able to apply for the visa, while existing pandemic visa holders will be able to apply for an extension.
The extension will last for six months when the visa officially closes in February 2024. It will cost applicants $405 to apply at an entry fee.
Controversial pandemic visas introduced for visitors left in Australia during the Covid crisis will now be scrapped, forcing 60,000 migrants to transfer to a new visa or leave the country. Pictured: An international student wears a safety suit as she arrives at Sydney Airport on December 6, 2021
“The Pandemic Event visa has been an important part of the Australian visa system during the pandemic,” Mr Giles said during his announcement.
“Many people on temporary visas helped Australia during this period.”
“We are offering people who hold a Pandemic Event visa the opportunity to explore another visa option, or who are planning to leave Australia.”
The Albanian government claims it has inherited a huge backlog of migrant visa applications, coupled with processing delays and waiting lists, from the former Liberal government.
Mr Giles said there were nearly a million unprocessed applications for skilled migrants when the Albanian government came to power last year.
“Under the liberals, our migration system didn’t work for anyone,” he said.
“There was no plan to deal with the reopening of the borders.
“We’ve reduced waiting times and we’re working to get our migration system working again for all Australians after a decade of shambles and mismanagement under the Liberals.”
Home Secretary Clare O’Neil (pictured) and Immigration Secretary Andrew Giles announced the visa closure for 408 pandemic events on Thursday
Immigration Minister Andrew Giles (pictured) claimed the Albanian government has inherited a broken migration system
The Pandemic Event Visa was introduced in 2020 to fill the labor shortage and support international students who were unable to leave the country during COVID.
This visa allowed applicants to work without restrictions for 12 months and involve family members in their application.
Some migration agents and education experts had called on the government to abolish the visa earlier as it was being exploited by international students to stay in the country and access full-time work.
Last month it was reported that about one in six international students in Australia had switched from their study visa to the Covid visa within a year, according to The Australian Financial Review.
The Albanian government has recently scrapped pandemic-era measures such as unlimited working hours for students and work exemptions for working holiday visa holders.
Existing pandemic visa holders will be able to legally stay in the country until their visa expires.