CANBERRA: The Australian government has said over 2 million people on temporary visas, including students, skilled workers, and visitors, in the country, should ‘go home’ as soon as possible, amid an economic downturn and joblessness due to the coronavirus pandemic.
There are 2.17 million foreigners currently in Australia on different temporary visas, and are ‘extremely valuable to the Australian economy and way of life,’ Alan Tudge, the acting immigration minister, said Saturday in a statement.
But, Tudge said, ‘temporary visa holders who are unable to support themselves under these arrangements over the next six months are strongly encouraged to return home.’ ‘For these individuals, it’s time to go home, and they should make arrangements as quickly as possible.’ This does not include permanent residents.
Tudge said 203,000 tourists in Australia needed to ‘return to their home country as quickly as possible.’ There are about 118,000 backpackers and other visitors on working holiday visas (or backpacker visas) – a type of visa which provides conditional work rights, Tudge said.
Currently, 565,000 international students in Australia contribute 32.4 billion dollars to the country’s economy, making the sector the third-largest largest export after iron and coal, as well as supporting some 250,000 jobs, DPA reported.
(With inputs from agencies)
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