Background
Home Affairs and the Federal Government have announced
multiple changes to the immigration system since the beginning
of the crisis. The scope of the immigration response to the
Covid-19 pandemic is drastic and the Federal government has
collaborated with the immigration profession, employer groups,
unions, and other NGOs to identify remedies which will support
temporary residents. However, more needs to be done.
While the changes have been broadly welcomed, there have been a
number of
criticisms of the government's
refusal to extend the JobKeeper supplement to temporary visa
holders. This is of particular significance to the 139,000
temporary work visa holders (Subclass 482 Temporary Skill Shortage
and 457 Temporary Work visas) impacted by the economic crisis.
