Young people looking to study in Australia will have their visa fees waived under a new plan to boost the nation’s workforce.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday said foreign students and backpackers would be called upon to help ease pressures caused by the surge of Omicron cases.
“There are aroxjmtzywund 150,000 students who have visas who we are encouraging to come back to be here for the start of their university or college year,” he told reporters in Canberra.
“But we also want them to come here and be able to be filling some of these critical workforce shortages, particularly those who are working and being trained in healthcare, aged care, those types of sectors, that will be incredibly helpful.
“My message to them is – come on down.”
The changes will mean an application fee of around $630 will be waived.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said it will cost the budget bottom line $55 million.
It will be supported by a $3 million marketing campaign from Tourism Australia to encourage students and backpackers to come and work here.
Mr Morrison also called on states to remove requirements for workers to undertake daily rapid antigen tests before working on site.
“The clear medical advice to me from the chief medical officer is that there is no requirement for workers to be tested daily with rapid antigen tests,” the prime minister said.
“Those resources should be targeted towards the priority sectors like health and aged care and other critical sectors that are identified, things like meat processing, for example, where there is much higher rate of infection that occurs in those workplaces, and that is where those resources should be directed.
“It is not the medical advice for rapid antigen testing to be a requirement for a safe workplace broadly across the Australian economy.
“And seeking to impose that would not only frustrate the supplies, but it would impose further burdens on our employers at a time when we’re seeking to ensure that our economy can push through.”
As the number Covid-19 cases surge across the country, Mr Morrison sought to address the frustration the spread of Omicron has caused.
“You have seen queues, you have seen rising cases, you have seen pressures on hospital systems, you have seen disruption of supply chains, you have seen shortages of tests, you have seen all of these in all of these countries all around the world,” Mr Morrison said.
“That is what Omicron has brought. But that is of no comfort to Australians who had a frustrating and difficult and highly concerning summer and that is something that we must continue to work together to push through.
“This has been one of the biggest challenges through this pandemic”
