Visa fee waivers, extended post-study work visas part of Australia’s new measure

The Australian government has launched visa support initiatives for international students and graduates, including COVID-19 visa fee waivers, visa fee refunds, and extended post-study work visas. Additional time for English language tests will also be provided as part of the support initiatives. 

 Fully-vaccinated student visa holders who arrived in Australia between 19 January 2022 and 19 March 2022 will be eligible for a visa fee refund, informed Australian Trade Investment Commission. 

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Another significant relief for international students is temporary relaxation in work hours while studying. However, no exemptions have been made regarding course requirements such as enrollment and attendance. 

In addition, students who couldn’t complete their course on time due to the pandemic are also eligible to receive a waiver on the visa application fee. “Students already in Australia who held a student visa on or after 1 February 2020 and could not complete their course within the original visa period because of the impact of Covid may be eligible to have their student visa application fee (VAC) waived when applying for a new student visa,” officials said.