Some unemployed temporary visa holders are pushed to the brink. Firstly, just like everyone, they too must survive the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. Then comes the misfortune of not being able to receive government assistance during the pandemic.
And finally, the struggle off finding a new employer – for those on temporary skill shortage visa (482), this means finding a new employer ( who will sponsor) within a period of 60 days or being granted a new visa. If both these options do not work out, you will need to leave Australia.
As stated by the Department of Home Affairs, 482 visa holders are only legally allowed to work for the one employer who originally sponsored them- unless they are exempt. Temporary visa holders are also excluded from the government’s JobSeeker and JobKeeper support.
According to Professor Mary Crock, an expert in migration law at the University of Sydney, temporary visa holders need more protections in Australia.
“You have people falling through multiple cracks; no longer employed by a sponsoring employer, not eligible for help from the government, and they may not even be able to get home,” she said.
At the moment, there are around 2.17 million temporary visa holders in Australia. To help these workers that are affected by COVID, the federal government allowed them access to up to $10,000 from their superannuation last financial year.
It has not been made available for this financial year.
Pandemic payment
Workers that have tested positive for Coronavirus and not eligible for sick leave are able to access a disaster payment of $1,500 a fortnight.
This relief payment applies to workers across all states in Australia that have declared a state of disaster.
Are you a stranded visa holder looking for a sponsor?
Our AABD Recruitment team has been operating restlessly during this pandemic, helping eager jobseekers find employers with sponsorship.
Many of our long-term employers are still hiring workers – even during this unprecedented time- and will sponsor the right candidate.
If you are a visa holder and unsure about the future of your visa conditions, speak to one of our MARA registered migration consultants.
