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Summary

Australia Is Now Offering To Pay For Travellers' Visas & It’s Every Backpacker's Dream

You can be reimbursed hundreds of dollars! 💰

Global Staff Writer

It looks like travel is back on the table for Australia after a long period of major travel restrictions.

The Australian government announced their new visa refund scheme, which will help boost tourism down under again.

Beginning January 19, international students and working holidaymakers will be allowed entry into the country and their visa costs will be refunded, according to a media release by the government.

The initiative will be up and running for the next twelve weeks for Working Holiday Maker visas holders, who are usually referred to as backpackers.


Meanwhile, the scheme will be valid for the next eight weeks for student visa holders.

Currently, the student visa costs $630 (CA$568), and the Working Holiday Maker visa is $495 (CA$446), so people will be getting a big load of cash back.

Don’t worry — even if you don’t have the visa yet, you can cash in on the offer as a new applicant.

The scheme was put into effect because of the current shortage of workers Australia is struggling with because of COVID-19. This is supposed to help encourage people to come into the country and join the workforce.

“The provision of refunds and priority visa processing, together with a Tourism Australia advertising campaign, will generate fresh interest in Australia from students and Working Holiday Makers who contribute greatly to our economy and fill vital skills gaps,” said the media release.

The scheme will be reevaluated in April, so students and backpackers, go take advantage of the scheme while it lasts!

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    • Sameen Chaudhry (she/her) was a Toronto-based Staff Writer for Narcity's Global Desk. She has a Bachelor of Arts and Science from the University of Toronto, where she majored in political science and philosophy. Before joining Narcity, she wrote for 6ixBuzzTV, covering topics like Toronto's music scene, local real estate stories, and breaking news.

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