Given the Pandemic status of Covid-19, the Australian Government has announced some important changes to the Temporary Activity (Class GG) Subclass 408 visa.
The Subclass 408 visa is a temporary visa that allows holders to come to Australia to work on a short-term basis in specific areas or activities.
Some approved activity types under the Subclass 408 visa include:
- Invited participant to an Event (e.g. religious, academic, visual arts, conferences etc)
- Sport trainee
- Elite player, coach, instructor or adjudicator
- Religious worker
- Domestic Worker
- Superyacht Crew
- Research
- Staff Exchange
- Special Programs
- Entertainment
- Australian Government Endorsed Events
Covid-19 Pandemic
New legislative instrument of 3rd April 2020 specifies and includes the Covid-19 Pandemic as an event for the purposes of an application for a Subclass 408 visa, under the type “Australian Government Endorsed Events”.
This legislative change provides a pathway for eligible applicants to remain lawfully in Australia during the crisis.
To be eligible for this visa under the new legislative instrument, an applicant needs to satisfy Subclass 408 visa requirements and:
- Be in Australia; and
- Be unable to depart Australia as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; and
- Be directly associated to workforce shortages during the COVID19 pandemic in relation to areas including but not limited to, agriculture, aged care and public health.
- Be the holder of a temporary visa that is 28 days or less from ceasing to be in effect; or had been the holder of a temporary visa that ceased to be in effect not more than 28 days before the application for a Subclass 408 visa is made; and
- Be unable to meet the requirements for a visa of the same Subclass as the one they hold or held or a temporary visa of any other Subclass other than a Subclass 408 visa.