PRIME Minister Scott Morrison has announced visa fee rebates for overseas students and backpackers and pleaded with them to come to “come on down” to help fight the nation’s pandemic-triggered labour shortage.
Mr Morrison announced this morning that students and backpackers would have their visa application fees returned as rebates. For students, the rebate will be available for eight weeks from today and for backpackers the scheme will be available for 12 weeks. Backpackers whose visas had already been approved would be able to claim the rebate.
Mr Morrison said he wanted backpackers to “come on down” to enjoy a working holiday in Australia.
“We will be rebating their visa application fee, and there are some 23,500 backpackers who have visas to come to Australia right now,” he said.
“My message to them is, come on down.”
“There are around 150,000 students who have visas, who we are encouraging to come back to be there for the start of university.”
Worker shortages in the hospitality industry in particular have been exacerbated by the lack of overseas students who would usually work part time in this sector, and agriculture is suffering extreme harvest labour shortages made worse by the absence of young tourists on working holidays.
