In today’s blog update, we’ll be looking at Australia’s suggested visa fee refund to entice international students and workers.
In an attempt to support several industries encountering worker shortages, the federal government will provide a fee refund to any students or backpackers who come back to Australia in the upcoming months.
The fee is around $600, which will be rebated for foreign students who come anytime in the next eight weeks and for backpackers on working holiday-maker visas who arrive within the next 12 weeks.
The Predicted Cost Of The Fee Refund Scheme Is $55 Million.
It is expected that the action will be sufficient to attract around 150,000 students and 23,500 backpackers who presently carry a visa and are not in the country.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that it is a ‘thank you’ to students for returning and continuing to choose Australia. He stated that they want students and backpackers to get here and be able to be serving some of these critical workforce deficiencies, especially those who are working and being qualified in healthcare, aged care, those types of sectors, that will be extremely beneficial.
Prime Minister Morrison also urged backpackers to come and work and holiday in Australia to support the country’s hard-hit tourism industry.
He further stated that everyone who wanted to come to Australia should come on down right now and enjoy a holiday in Australia. He expects backpackers to move around the country, and at the same moment join their workforce and support their hospitality and farming sector, and that many different parts of the economy depend on that labor, on that workforce right now.
Workforce problems have been in the forefront lately as thousands of workers, including those who work in critical supply chains, have been moved to isolate themselves.
Before the Omicron attacks, industries were alerting of critical worker deficiencies due to Australia’s extended border closures and the drop in immigrants or temporary visa holders to refill worker gaps.
Some businesses have warned that costs of goods will have to go up to cover rising wages in attempt to attract employees.
Mark Butler, Shadow Health Minister Explained The Announcement As “Ad Hoc”.
He stated that if the Prime Minister and the Treasurer wished to trade with the extreme work force deficiencies that lead to vacant supermarket racks and hospitality venues that can’t get staff , there should be a system of free and widely available rapid tests.
Also, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said several previously announced modifications: which include isolation necessities for close connections in specific critical industries and the number of hours students on visas could work weekly, could also deliver a quick consolation.
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