The Australian government has announced that it will be discontinuing the Pandemic Event visa (subclass 408) for international students by February 2024. This visa was introduced in 2020 to allow international students who were trapped in Australia during the pandemic to stay in the country and continue their studies.
The government says that the decision to discontinue the visa is based on the fact that the pandemic is now over and international borders are open. The government also says that it wants to make sure that the visa system is fair for all students, including those who are not from countries that have been affected by the pandemic.
International students who are currently in Australia on a Pandemic Event visa will be able to stay in the country until their visa expires. They will also be able to apply for other types of visas, such as the Student visa (subclass 500).
The discontinuation of the Pandemic Event visa is likely to have a significant impact on the number of international students studying in Australia. In 2021, international students contributed $40 billion to the Australian economy. The government says that it is committed to attracting and retaining international students, and that it will continue to offer a range of visas for students.