Ambitious ploy as thousands of temporary visa holders plead to stay in the country

Thousands of workers who stayed in Australia throughout the Covid-19 pandemic have pleaded with the government to stay in the country permanently.

An ambitious proposal has been made calling on the government to allow people who stayed on a temporary visa throughout the Covid-19 pandemic to be granted permanent residency.

A petition on the Parliament House website established last week argued temporary residents who didn’t fall into a “skilled worker” category should be rewarded with a pathway to permanent residency for supporting the economy during the outbreak.

“Their support of the economy has taken many forms: work, study, paying rent, paying taxes, supporting local businesses and Australian online retailers,” it read.

“Disruptions to the migration program during the pandemic coupled with limited or unattainable pathways to permanent residency means that the future for many temporary residents in Australia is uncertain.”

The petition has gained more than 18,000 signatures and will close on December 22.

A petition is calling for workers deemed ‘unskilled’ who stayed in Australia throughout the pandemic to be allowed to stay. Picture: Getty

The government has already altered its requirements to make it easier for “highly skilled” migrants with an existing temporary skill shortage or legacy temporary work skilled visa to attain permanent residence.

The changes, announced late last month, were expected to benefit about 20,000 primary temporary skill shortage workers and 457 visa holders hoping to stay in the country, ​Immigration Minister Alex Hawke said.

“Most of these workers are employed in the highest-skilled occupations and the largest cohorts of workers benefiting from these changes include those currently employed in the health and hospitality industries, including many workers in regional Australia,” he said.

The petition however has requested that these changes be expanded to include workers from a broader range of industries, and not just those deemed “skilled” by the government.

“Over the next couple of years, many will be forced to leave Australia, a country they have grown to love,” the petition said.

“Australia must follow the lead of countries like New Zealand and Canada and recognise the contribution of temporary Residents during the pandemic with a permanent residency pathway.”

The New Zealand government announced in September it would be granting a one-off residence pathway for a group of temporary work visa holders who stayed in the country throughout the pandemic.