BRISBANE(BLOOMBERG) - Hundreds of overseas workers could be welcomed to Australia in the next 10 months, under a new class of visa the government is creating to aid the post-pandemic recovery - even as tens of thousands of its own citizens remain stranded overseas.
The visa will streamline entry requirements to allow the rapid relocation of workers critical to establishing a business in Australia. Fewer than 500 of the temporary Activity (subclass 408) "Post Covid-19 Economic Recovery Event" visas are expected to be granted during the next 10 months, before the the programme is designed to expire.
"This government's initiatives to bring top talent to Australia are cementing our economic recovery," Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews said in an e-mailed statement. "Returning Australians remain the priority, however this automatic travel exemption recognises the importance of significant investment."
At the start of the pandemic in March 2020, Australia implemented a ban on non-citizens and non-residents from entering the nation that has exacerbated skills shortages in some key industries and services. Strict caps have also been placed on its own citizens; as at late July, some 38,000 Australians were still stranded abroad.
The measures, some of the strictest in the world, earned the country the nickname "Fortress Australia".
In recent months, the government has cut international arrivals by 50 per cent and barred non-resident citizens who enter the country from leaving again to reduce pressure on a quarantine system that is being tested by the Delta variant of the coronavirus.
That strain seeded itself in Sydney in mid-June; now, around half the nation's population of 26 million people are in lockdown as the authorities seek to stem an outbreak that is infecting more than 1,500 people a day.
New South Wales, the most populous state, is seeking to start removing lockdown restrictions and allowing international travel again later this year when vaccination thresholds are reached.
The government's automatic exemption for skilled non-Australians will be restricted to businesses deemed by the Global Business and Attraction Taskforce as likely to make a significant contribution to economy, including investment value and job creation potential.
Arrivals will still need to meet all standard health requirements and quarantine protocols, as administered by states and territories.
"These visa holders are bringing the skills, investment and new ideas that employ Australians and keep us internationally competitive for years to come," Ms Andrews said in the statement. "They're adding to our economy, generating new jobs and contributing to our tax base so we can continue to provide the essential services all Australians rely on."
