Temporary visas holders currently employed or capable of being employed in critical sectors may be eligible for a Temporary Activity (subclass 408 Australian Government Endorsed Event (AGEE) stream) visa.
Working holiday makers employed in critical sectors who have not completed the 3 or 6 months of specified work required to apply for a second or third Working Holiday Maker visa, and are unable to leave Australia, may be eligible for a Temporary Activity (subclass 408 Australian Government Endorsed Event (AGEE) stream) visa. This visa will allow working holiday makers to remain lawfully in Australia, and continue working, if they wish to do so, until they can return to their home country. TSS 482 visa / 457 visa holders who have lost their jobs may also be eligible to apply for the 408 visa (COVID-19 stream).
Those already in Australia with the Seasonal Worker Program whose visas are expiring, will be able to extend their stay in Australia by applying for a Temporary Activity (subclass 408 Australian Government Endorsed Event (AGEE) stream) visa.
This temporary visa lets you come to Australia to participate in events which are endorsed by the Australian Government.
408 eligibility check 408 Visa for COVID-19 FAQ Update on 408 Visa for COVID-19 Pandemic.
For the duration of the event or up to 4 years however we anticipate the 408 COVID stream will be between 6 to 12 months.
COVID-19 Pandemic visa: Free & STAC fees don’t apply.
Processing times are not available for this visa.
On this visa you can travel to and from Australia as many times as you want while your visa is valid and include members of the family unit in your application.
You can be in or outside Australia when you apply for the visa and when we decide on your application. You must be in Australia to be granted the COVID-19 Pandemic event visa.
You do not need to be endorsed in writing to apply for the COVID-19 Pandemic event visa. The COVID-19 Pandemic event visa is only available to people who are onshore and have 28 days or less remaining on their current visa or where their last substantive visa has expired up to 28 days previously.
To be granted a 408 visa you must also meet the health and character requirements, have adequate health insurance, be able to support yourself and any dependents and be a genuine temporary entrant.
Includes but is not limited to doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, social workers, care workers, and other frontline health and social care staff including volunteers; the support and specialist staff required to maintain the Australia’s health and social care sector; those working as part of the health and social care supply chain, including producers and distributors of medicines and medical and personal protective equipment.
Includes nursery and teaching staff, social workers and those specialist education professionals who must remain active during the COVID-19 response to deliver this approach.
Includes those involved in food production, processing, distribution, sale and delivery as well as those essential to the provision of other key goods (for example hygienic and veterinary medicines).
The not limited to may include:
The VisaOne Team has put plans in place to ensure ongoing operations for our active current and prospective clients. All operations are done so remotely.
The travel bans on Australian citizens and permanent residents leaving the country which was originally put in place between 18 March 2020 and 17 June 2020 has now been extended until 17 September 2020 by the Australian government.
If you are an Australian citizen or permanent resident, you can only leave Australia if you successfully apply for an exemption to be exempted from the COVID-19 travel restrictions.
If you are a temporary visa holder, or looking to enter Australia on a temporary visa you must be granted an exemption before you are permitted to enter Australia.
Criteria which allows you to be exempt and apply for a Travel Ban Exemption
If you are wanting to travel outside of Australia before 17 September 2020, you will need to satisfy one of the below criteria’s in order to submit an exemption from the government’s travel restrictions.
You can apply for an exemption if your travel is due to:
If you are looking to enter Australia on a temporary visa you must apply for a travel exemption. The Department will consider applications on a case by case basis. The following exemptions currently are in place:
Permanent Residents and Australian citizens are able to enter Australia subject to mandatory quarantine measures.
Evidence needed to support the above travel ban exemptions
If you are looking at applying for a travel exemption to leave or enter Australia before 17 September 2020, then you should be prepared to submit the following relevant documentation and evidence in support of your application.
Evidence may include:
The travel restrictions placed by the government and the health department are strict and it is advised that you do not start your travel journey without already having your exemption. You will be required to show this exemption at the airport in order to leave the country.
Ready to apply for the travel ban exemption:
We understand the tough times being endured by citizens, residents temporary or permanent, and businesses in Australia. For citizens, permanent residents and temporary visa holders that are in a position of needing a travel ban exemption to either exit or enter Australia; we recommend booking a consultation to discuss:
Condition 8570 prevents Temporary Protection visa (TPV) and Safe Haven Enterprise visa (SHEV) holders from entering:
Condition 8559 prevents permanent Protection visa (PPV) holders from entering the country from which they (or the primary visa holder, if they hold the visa as a family member) were found to engage Australia’s protection obligations, unless we have approved the entry in writing
PPV holders do not need our approval to enter any other country.
Conditions 8570 and 8559 apply to all members of the same family unit granted the relevant protection visa , including those granted the visa on the basis that they are a member of the same family unit of someone found to engage Australia’s protection.
You must have compelling or compassionate reasons for the travel.
To submit a request:
In your request, you must provide us following information:
Compelling or compassionate reasons can include:
Close relatives only include:
Please wait until you get permission before buying travel tickets.
It takes about 4 weeks for us to decide. If granted, approval is usually for a period of up to 2 months.
Note: our approval to travel outside Australia is not a visa to enter another country.
If you need to travel urgently, follow the normal process but tell us:
If you made a mistake in your request or would like to change your travel plans, send an email to travel.request@homeaffairs.gov.au
To submit a request:
In your request, you must provide us following information:
Compelling or compassionate reasons can include:
Close relatives only include:
It takes about 4 weeks for us to decide. If granted, approval is usually for a period of up to 3 weeks.
Note: our approval to travel outside Australia is not a visa to enter another country.
If you need to travel urgently, follow the normal process but tell us:
If you made a mistake in your request, or would like to change your travel plans, send an email to travel.request@homeaffairs.gov.au
You should not use the passport or travel document issued to you by your country of nationality. If you do so, we may consider that you no longer require Australia's protection and we may cancel your visa.
If you hold a PPV, TPV or SHEV, you are eligible to apply for a travel document issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
Contact any Australian Passport Office in DFAT to apply for a Convention Travel Document or a Certificate of Identity.
When you are granted a permanent Protection visa (subclass 866), you can travel to and from Australia for 5 years from the date we grant the visa. This means you can leave and re-enter Australia as many times as you like in the 5 years from the date your subclass 866 visa was granted, as long as your visa is in effect.
After 5 years your travel facility expires and you will need to apply for and be granted a Resident Return (RRV) visa (subclass 155) or (subclass 157) to re-enter Australia as a permanent resident.
For further information on the travel facility on your permanent visa and advice on when to apply for a Resident Return visa, see Overseas travel as a permanent resident
Consular assistance may not be available while you are overseas.
We will normally facilitate re-entry to Australia for persons holding valid travel documents issued by the Australian Passport Office, such as a Convention Travel Document.
If you travel overseas, with or without obtaining approval to travel, you do so at your own risk. Consular assistance is only available to Australian citizens, and only to permanent residents in crisis situations.
If you need to travel to or from Australia during the COVID-19 period, contact us.
Amidst China’s crackdown on rights and freedoms in Hong Kong, 5-year visa extensions have been proposed for Hongkongers that are temporary residents in Australia.
In a press conference, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that the government will be adjusting policy to enable Hong Kong citizens who are currently in Australia on temporary visas to be granted 5-year extensions. They also plan to create a pathway to permanent residency for Hong Kong citizens still in Australia at the end of those 5 years.
Current and future Hongkonger students may be able to stay for a total of five years after graduation, with a pathway to permanent residency at the end of that period. All other Hongkongers on temporary visas are likely to have their visas extended by five years from today, again with a pathway to permanent residency at the end of those five years.
There are currently 8200 students, 570 temporary skilled migrants and 900 graduate visa holders in Australia, and many more Hongkongers holding Australian visas overseas. Those who already have an Australian visa but are outside the country will also be eligible for the proposed extension.
Whilst this is generally great news for Hongkongers, it does not appear that permanent residency will be the end result for all. Scott Morrison has stated that the grant of permanent visas will be “subject to meeting an updated skills list and appropriate market testing.” The humanitarian visa option will still be available, however there will not be a Hong Kong specific stream and it is unclear whether all citizens of Hong Kong will meet the requirements.
During the press conference, the Prime Minister also announced a plan to attract Hong Kong businesses to relocate to Australia, with staff being provided opportunities for resettlement under the humanitarian visa program. In addition, visa applicants from Hong Kong that have expressed interest in Australia’s talent and business innovation programs will be prioritised to come to Australia.
The Prime Minister has not provided a time frame in terms of policy implementation, however we are likely to be provided with updates in the coming weeks. For Hong Kong citizens that hold temporary visas nearing expiry, we recommend book a consultation to discuss interim visa options.
Students
Temporary skilled visas
There are almost 10,000 existing temporary skilled, temporary graduate and student visa holders in Australia who will be eligible for these special arrangements, with a further 2,500 outside Australia and 1,250 applications on hand.
Attracting the best and brightest
Attracting businesses
澳大利亚宣布对在澳香港居民的签证延长
在中国打击香港的权利和自由的同时，澳大利亚将在澳香港居民临时签证的期限延长5年。
澳大利亚总理斯科特·莫里森在新闻发布会上宣布，政府将调整政策，使目前持澳大利亚临时签证的香港公民可获五年延长。澳大利亚还计划在那五年结束时为仍在澳大利亚的香港公民创造永久居留权的途径。
现在和将来的香港学生毕业后总共可以居住五年，在这五年结束后可以申请永久居留。所有其他持有临时签证的香港人很可能将从今天起将签证延期五年，并且在这五年结束之时再次获得永久居留权。
目前，澳大利亚有8200名学生，570名临时技术移民和900名研究生签证持有人，还有更多在海外持有澳大利亚签证的香港人。那些已经拥有澳大利亚签证但在国外的香港人也将有资格获得签证延长。
虽然这对香港人来说是个好消息，但似乎永久居留并不是所有人的最终结果。斯科特·莫里森（Scott Morrison）表示，永久签证的授予将“取决于满足最新的技能列表和劳动力市场测试的要求”。人道主义签证选项仍然可用，但是将不会有针对香港的特定细类，目前尚不清楚是否所有香港公民都能符合要求。
在新闻发布会上，总理还宣布了一项计划，以吸引香港企业迁往澳大利亚，并根据人道主义签证计划为工作人员提供重新安置的机会。此外，对澳大利亚的人才和业务创新计划表现出兴趣的香港签证申请人将被优先考虑到澳大利亚。
总理尚未提供政策实施的时间表，但是我们可能会在未来几周内收到最新消息。对于持有即将到期的临时签证的香港公民，我们建议您进行咨询以讨论临时签证的选择。
学生
临时技术签证
吸引最优秀的人才
吸引企业
澳大利亞宣布對在澳香港居民的簽證延長
在中國打擊香港的權利和自由的同時，澳大利亞將在澳香港居民臨時簽證的期限延長5 年。
澳大利亞總理斯科特· 莫里森在新聞發布會上宣布，政府將調整政策，使目前持澳大利亞臨時簽證的香港公民可獲五年延長。澳大利亞還計劃在那五年結束時為仍在澳大利亞的香港公民創造永久居留權的途徑。
現在和將來的香港學生畢業後總共可以居住五年，在這五年結束後可以申請永久居留。所有其他持有臨時簽證的香港人很可能將從今天起將簽證延期五年，並且在這五年結束之時再次獲得永久居留權。
目前，澳大利亞有8200 名學生，570 名臨時技術移民和900 名研究生簽證持有人，還有更多在海外持有澳大利亞簽證的香港人。那些已經擁有澳大利亞簽證但在國外的香港人也將有資格獲得簽證延長。
雖然這對香港人來說是個好消息，但似乎永久居留並不是所有人的最終結果。斯科特· 莫里森（Scott Morrison ）表示，永久簽證的授予將“ 取決於滿足最新的技能列表和勞動力市場測試的要求” 。人道主義簽證選項仍然可用，但是將不會有針對香港的特定細類，目前尚不清楚是否所有香港公民都能符合要求。
在新聞發布會上，總理還宣布了一項計劃，以吸引香港企業遷往澳大利亞，並根據人道主義簽證計劃為工作人員提供重新安置的機會。此外，對澳大利亞的人才和業務創新計劃表現出興趣的香港簽證申請人將被優先考慮到澳大利亞。
總理尚未提供政策實施的時間表，但是我們可能會在未來幾週內收到最新消息。對於持有即將到期的臨時簽證的香港公民，我們建議您進行諮詢以討論臨時簽證的選擇。
學生
臨時技術簽證
吸引最優秀的人才
吸引企業
將製定新的激勵措施，以吸引以出口為導向的香港公司遷往澳大利亞。除經濟激勵措施外，所有在香港工作的重要工作人員都可以使用永久簽證途徑。政府將特別針對目前在香港地區運營總部並在考慮搬遷到民主國家的企業。
*Legal Disclaimer: Please note that this article is for general information only. Always seek professional legal advice in regards to your situation as every situation is different. Immigration legislation changes regularly and thus always, get up-to-date advice on your situation. Lodging a visa application is a judicial process and is based on the quality of legal advice and legal representation you receive. It is illegal for any Migration Agent or Lawyer to guarantee 100% of a positive result as it is a judicial process.
If you are not a permanent visa holder, you must comply with current travel restrictions.
If you think you have a compassionate or compelling reason to travel to Australia, you can apply for an exemption to the travel restriction. Do not travel to Australia until DHA confirm that you can. If you are not granted an exemption, you cannot travel to Australia. All travellers applying for an exemption must apply online. Apply online for a travel exemption.
Visitor visas and ETAs cannot be extended. If your visa expires before you are able to travel to Australia, you will need to apply for a new visa that meets your needs. Explore your visa options. Visa holders who have changed their travel plans due to travel restrictions are not considered eligible for a visa application charge (VAC) refund.
You should reconsider your need to apply for a Visitor visa or ETA at this time and check this page regularly for updates on travel restrictions and visa processing.
The Department is prioritising processing visa applications for those travellers in the exempt categories to support urgent travel. We encourage applicants to apply online wherever possible, as these applications will be processed faster than those lodged on paper.
You will not be able to apply for an ETA online while the travel restrictions are in place.
Some services relating to the visa application process may be impacted by COVID-19 and a range of services we rely on are increasingly unavailable. This includes overseas panel doctors (who undertake medical checks), English language testing facilities, biometric collection and paper application lodgement centres. While these services are unavailable, many applicants cannot meet visa requirements. Applicants will be given additional time to complete checks and provide the requested information.
*Legal Disclaimer: Please note that this article is for general information only. Always seek professional legal advice in regards to your situation as every situation is different. Immigration legislation changes regularly and thus always, get up-to-date advice on your situation. Lodging a visa application is a judicial process and is based on the quality of legal advice and legal representation you receive. It is illegal for any Migration Agent or Lawyer to guarantee 100% of a positive result as it is a judicial process.
If you are a temporary visa holder in Australia and have not been able to depart Australia as planned, you should apply for a new visa before your current visa expires.
Please note there are limited visa options available if you are already in Australia. You may consider applying to remain in Australia as a visitor unless you are eligible to work, study or join family in Australia.
If you apply for a new visa, you may be eligible to be granted a bridging visa that will keep you lawful in Australia until a decision is made on your visa application. You may be allowed to work in Australia depending on the visa conditions that apply to your bridging visa.
If your visa has expired, you should immediately apply for a Bridging visa E (BVE). A BVE will keep you lawful in Australia until you are able to make arrangements to leave Australia or finalise your visa options.
Some services relating to the visa application process may be impacted by COVID-19 and a range of services we rely on (such as medical checks and biometric collection) are increasingly unavailable. Applicants will be given additional time to complete checks and provide the requested information.
*Legal Disclaimer: Please note that this article is for general information only. Always seek professional legal advice in regards to your situation as every situation is different. Immigration legislation changes regularly and thus always, get up-to-date advice on your situation. Lodging a visa application is a judicial process and is based on the quality of legal advice and legal representation you receive. It is illegal for any Migration Agent or Lawyer to guarantee 100% of a positive result as it is a judicial process.
The best option is to continue looking for another employer or get checked for Skilled Migration.
If you have another employer willing to sponsor you, you can do a 457 or 482 transfer if:
If you are currently on a 457 or 482 visa, you can do a transfer.
This can either be a sponsorship and nomination transfer case. Or if your employer already has a sponsorship in place, it may be a nomination transfer case only.
Otherwise, if you have an Australian partner and satisfy the right requirements, you can apply for a partner visa which is also a pathway to permanent residency.
Potentially looking for another employer.
You can choose to study in Australia towards a course to further up-skill your current qualifications or choose a different career path (if you can demonstrate that you are a genuine student).
You can look to book a flight and travel home. During COVID-19 travel restrictions, this may be quite difficult to do. Ensure you speak to a migration agent or lawyer to be able to do this accurately and that you don’t violate any visa conditions.
Book in a consultation with us and get accurate, legal advice the first time round. Stop researching and wasting time getting advice from the grapevine (informal advice). Get a straight answer from experts.
*Disclaimer: Always get a migration agent or lawyer to asses your individual circumstances, in order to receive unbiased recommendations. Your unique circumstances and personal factors can affect your visa options and can either open up or close pathways for you.
This article is a Media Release from the Ministers for the Department of Home Affairs website by The Hon Alan Tudge MP.
Source: https://minister.homeaffairs.gov.au/alantudge/Pages/hong-kong-visa-arrangement-20200709.aspx
Australia and Hong Kong have always shared a close relationship.
Our people-to-people links include close family connections, business ties and shared values. Australia is a favoured destination for people from Hong Kong, and has been for many years.
Australia has a long history of attracting Hong Kong’s best and brightest who have contributed significantly to our economic growth and job creation, and we are committed to ensuring this is further strengthened. That’s why Australia will introduce new measures for students, temporary graduates and skilled workers from Hong Kong who want to live, work and study in Australia.
New visa arrangements will provide further opportunities for Hong Kong passport holders to remain in Australia, with pathways to permanent residency.
They will also attract talent and companies to our nation in order to boost productivity and create further job opportunities for Australians.
There are almost 10,000 existing temporary skilled, temporary graduate and student visa holders in Australia who will be eligible for these special arrangements, with a further 2,500 outside Australia and 1,250 applications on hand.
The Government will also enhance efforts to attract businesses from Hong Kong. There are more than 1,000 international companies that have their regional headquarters based in Hong Kong which might consider relocating to Australia. Our government will develop further incentives to attract these companies, particularly where they have a strong potential for future growth and employment of Australians.
*Legal Disclaimer: Please note that this article is for general information only. Always seek professional legal advice in regards to your situation as every situation is different. Immigration legislation changes regularly and thus always, get up-to-date advice on your situation. Lodging a visa application is a judicial process and is based on the quality of legal advice and legal representation you receive. It is illegal for any Migration Agent or Lawyer to guarantee 100% of a positive result as it is a judicial process.
I have finished studies here in Australia and my student visa is ending soon. I would like to extend my stay in Australia.
What can I do?
What if I don’t have enough time to stay?
You may be eligible for a visitor visa to bridge the time gap between your student visa and your next substantial visa. Talk to a migration agent or lawyer to check whether this is the best option for you in your circumstances.
I would like to work
Work rights will come with temporary graduate visa, temporary work visa.
The Next Steps
If you have finished your studies, are looking to extend your Australian visa and think one of the above options may be available to you:
Disclaimer: Always, always, always get a migration agent or lawyer to asses your individual circumstances and recommend visa pathways. There are a large number of factors in your situation that can open up or close these pathways to you.
Please note that we do not assist in finding you a job or placement. SEEK.com.au is the best search engine to find work here in Australia in your chosen field.
The Subclass 408 COVID-19 Visa allows eligible applicants to stay and work in Australia with minimal requirements.
The Australian Government introduced this unprecedented and extraordinarily generous visa to deal with the coronavirus global pandemic.
Snapshot of key benefits of the Subclass 408 COVID-19 Visa
You may be eligible for the Subclass 408 COVID-19 Visa as it is open to a diverse range temporary visa holders in Australia
Generally, you are eligible to apply for this visa if you are currently employed in a critical sector or have a job offer from an employer in a critical sector. The good news is even if you do not have a job or job offer in hand, you may still apply if have the relevant skills.
Read on for a more detailed look at how the Subclass 408 COVID-19 Visa works.
What are the purposes of Subclass 408 COVID-19 Visa?
The Australian Government introduced this visa to let you:
Who is eligible for the Subclass 408 COVID-19 Visa?
You are eligible to apply for this visa if you are seeking to remain in Australia to undertake work directly associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The Department of Home Affairs have stated that this visa is intended for people who are working in critical sectors including agriculture, food processing, health care, aged care, disability care and child care during the COVID-19 pandemic. They also explained that the purpose of this visa is to provide a pathway for certain former and current holders of temporary visas to lawfully remain in Australia and who would otherwise be required to depart Australia who, but for the COVID-19 pandemic, are unable to leave Australia.
Therefore, if you are currently employed in or have a job offer letter from an employer in a critical sector, then great. If not, you may still apply if you have “relevant skills” to undertake critical sector work. See below for more on eligibility for those with “relevant skills”.
The Subclass 408 COVID-19 Visa Legislative Instrument and Explanatory Statement
The Subclass 408 COVID-19 Visa was created pursuant to a legislative instrument known as LIN 20/122 made by the Delegate of the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs on 3 April 2020 under subregulation 2.07(5) and paragraphs 408.229(b) and (c) of Schedule 2 to the Migration Regulations 1994 (the Regulations).
Section 6 of LIN 20/122 sets out details about the class of persons eligible for this visa:
“6 Class of persons
For paragraph 408.229(c) of Schedule 2 to the Regulations, an applicant for a
Subclass 408 visa is in a class of persons in relation to the event specified in
section 5 if, at the time of application, the applicant is:
(a) in Australia; and
(b) unable to depart Australia as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; and
(c) either:
(i) the holder of a temporary visa that is 28 days or less from ceasing to
be in effect; or
(ii) was the holder of a temporary visa that ceased to be in effect not
more than 28 days before the application for a Subclass 408 visa is
made; and
(d) unable to make a valid application, or meet the Schedule 2 criteria, for:
(i) a visa of the same Subclass as the visa mentioned in paragraph (c);
or
(ii) a temporary visa of any other Subclass other than a Subclass 408
visa. ”
For a better understanding about this visa, we can take a look at the Explanatory Statement that accompanied this LIN 20/122.
Paragraph 5 of the Explanatory Statement states:
“5. The purpose of the instrument is to provide a pathway for certain former and current holders of temporary visas to lawfully remain in Australia and who would otherwise be required to depart Australia who, but for the COVID-19 pandemic, are unable to leave Australia. The instrument limits the class of persons who can be granted the visa to those who hold a visa that is 28 days or less from ceasing to be in effect, or held a visa that is no more than 28 days from ceasing to be in effect. It further limits the class of persons to those who are unable to apply for the same temporary visa they hold or held or any other subclass of temporary visa other than the Subclass 408 visa.”
This paragraph is quite self explanatory. It specifically talks about the eligible class of persons as being those who are unable to apply for the same temporary visa they hold or held or any other subclass of temporary visa other than the Subclass 408 visa. In other words, you can apply for this Subclass 408 COVID-19 Visa if you cannot apply for any other visa provided your substantive is 28 days or less from ceasing to be in effect, or you held a visa that is no more than 28 days from ceasing to be in effect.
Paragraph 6 of the Explanatory Statement states:
“The purpose of the instrument is also to implement a measure to respond to workforce shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to areas including, but not limited to, agriculture, aged care and public health. The instrument is designed to allow holders of temporary visas who are engaged in or have the relevant skills to undertake critical work relating to supply of essential goods and services, provided the applicant falls within the class of persons specified by the instrument.”
The above wording may be interpreted to mean that applicants “who are engaged in” critical work relating to supply of essential goods and services are eligible. Additionally, applicants who “have the relevant skills” but are not currently working may also eligible. This interpretation is consistent with the intended purpose of this visa. Since this instrument was intended to respond to workforce shortages, it makes sense to allow people who are not already in the workforce, who do not already have jobs but have the relevant skills and wish to undertake work in critical sectors, to apply for this visa. For example, a person on a visitor visa or student visa, who possess relevant skills such as a registered nurse, should be eligible to apply even if they do not currently engage in nursing work in Australia. It would not make sense to confine or limit the pool of eligible applicants to only those to are already in jobs. The express purpose of this visa is to respond to workforce shortages. As such, the achievement of this objective is furthered by expanding the workforce, and by including people who have the relevant skills but do not yet have a job.
It is important to note that the Migration Act 1958, Migration Regulations 1994, LIN 20/122 and its accompanying Explanatory Statement, and Procedural Instructions on the Subclass 408 visa do not expressly require applicants for the Subclass 408 COVID-19 Visa to be employed or have a job offer letter in order to be eligible for this visa. However, the applicant must demonstrate that they are seeking to remain in Australia to undertake work directly related to the COVID-19 pandemic. To do this, it would be helpful to show that the applicant has the relevant skills and is seeking to undertake work in a critical sector. This may include showing that the applicant is actively communicating or interviewing with employers in critical sectors to fill critical sector jobs.
If you are a temporary visa holder and want to continue to remain and work in in Australia, this Subclass 408 COVID-19 Visa may be perfect for you
In summary, if you are temporary visa holder in Australia, and you wish to remain in Australia to live and work, the Subclass 408 COVID-19 Visa may suit your needs. Whether you are currently on a work visa that is about to expire, or on a student visa with limited work rights, or on a visitor visa with no work rights, you may be eligible for the Subclass 408 COVID-19 Visa. Since the Subclass 408 COVID-19 Visa was introduced in response to the pandemic, the improving situation in Australia may lead the Australian Government to close receiving applications this visa stream in the near future. For those interested in applying, it may be a good idea to lodge your application sooner rather than later.
Our visa experts are ready help you navigate the Department of Home Affair during COVID-19.