The Australian government announced that it will stop issuing Pandemic Event visas beginning February 2024. This move will affect a sizable number of international students and temporary workers scrambling for other options to remain in the country, reports The Economic Times. The visa, Subclass 408, was introduced during the peak pandemic in 2020 to plug labour shortages and support international students who were not able to leave Australia. It allowed students to live in the country for an additional 12 months if their visas expired, and travel to or from Australia multiple times during a stay.

To promote visa integrity and as a transitional measure, the Pandemic Event visa applications are being accepted from those who are currently on it. This rule came into effect from 2 September 2023. The move comes after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s Government recently ended a series of Covid-era measures, including unlimited work hours for international students and work exemptions for Working Holiday visa holders.

Arguing that the visa was being misused, immigration and education experts called for its abolition with immediate effect as it allowed people to work unlimited hours for 12 months. Almost 60,000 international students and temporary workers were using the visa to extend their stay in Australia, even post pandemic, according to recent figures released by the Department of Home Affairs. The department issued 65,859 pandemic visas from June 2022 to March 2023.