Prime Minister Scott Morrison has told visitor visa holders and international students the time has come to return to their home countries as the coronavirus pandemic continues. The PM has stated that those in Australia who are here under various visa arrangements and cannot support themselves that "there is the alternative for them to return to their home countries".
"Australia must focus on its citizens and its residents to ensure that we can maximize the economic supports that we have," he said. However, the PM has hinted that those international visitors who have got critical skills (doctor, nurses, paramedics) are an exception in this case.
"For those backpackers in Australia who are nurses or doctors, or have other critical skills that can really help us during this crisis, then there will be opportunities for them," he said.
"But our focus and our priority are on supporting Australians and Australian residents with the economic supports that are available."
Mr. Morrison said there still remained a number of people in the country on visitor visas.
International students have no access to the Federal Government's JobSeeker payment and are having to deal with the COVID-19 crisis without the financial safety net available to many Australian citizens and residents.
Mr. Morrison pointed out it was a requirement for students who come to Australia to be able to support themselves in their first 12 months of their study.
There are more than 500,000 international students in Australia, many of who have lost their jobs during the pandemic.
Source: abc.net.au