Australian government is refunding visa application fees to international students and Working Holiday Makers!
From 19 January 2022, international students and Working Holiday Makers (WHM) who arrive in Australia will have their visa application fees refunded.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the changes to help the nation ease workforce shortages caused by the spread of the Omicron variant.
International students will have the fees waived for 8 weeks from 19 January 2022 till 19 February 2022, while the changes will be in place for 12 weeks for Working Holiday Makers (till 19 March 2022).
The federal government last week announced a 40-hour per fortnight working cap would be removed for international students.
The current visa application fee of $630 is charged for international student visa and $495 for working holiday visa.
N0 Restrictions For Working Holiday Makers
From 19 January 2022, WHMs working in any sector anywhere in Australia may continue to work for the same employer or organisation without requesting permission.
To address the current workforce shortages, the Australian Government will not enforce condition 8547 which restricts Working Holiday Makers to work only 6 months for any one employer.
This arrangement will be in place until 31 December 2022 when it will be reviewed by the Government.
Working Holiday Maker (subclass 417 and 462) visas are on the list of eligible visas for entry to Australia without a travel exemption. Visa holders must be double-vaccinated and prove their status by providing a foreign vaccination certificate or evidence of medical exemption.
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Disclaimer
The above article constitutes only generic information on migration issues, and does not constitute specific migration advice to any entity or individual.