Coronavirus: overseas students left high and dry by job subsidy scheme

Out-of-work foreign students ineligible for pay subsidies are relying on friends for food and rent during virus lockdowns.

Madan Subedi is relying on friends for food and rent. Picture: David Geraghty

Just three weeks ago Nepalese student Madan Subedi had the world at his feet. He was months away from graduating from a double degree in business administration and accounting, and was paying his way by working as a cook at a popular eatery in Melbourne’s then-bustling CBD.

But since the outbreak of COVID-19, the 30-year-old’s fortunes have changed dramatically and instead of serving up bowls of fried chicken to the restaurant’s loyal patrons, he’s unemployed and relying on his friends for food.

“Many of the banks in Nepal are closed at this point so it has been very difficult to get money,” Mr Subedi told The Australian on Sunday. “I am relying on my friends — the ones who still have jobs — to buy me groceries to eat and to help me cover rent. I will have to pay them back eventually.”

Last week Scott Morrison told international students and temporary visa holders they should “return to their home countries” if they are no longer able to support themselves in Australia. But for Mr Subedi, with no income and a degree months from completion, it’s not that simple.

“I am very stressed and of course I want to get back to my country and be with my family at this time,” he said. “I had lots of calls from my friends and relatives back home asking whether I would be OK after the Prime Minister’s message.”

Mr Subedi, who has worked and studied in Australia for three years, said that as taxpayers, the nation’s estimated one million foreign workers should also be eligible for the government’s coronavirus financial assistance payments.

“All the students are working here and providing human resources, everyone matters, and it should be a complete package for international students too.”

He said his friends and family were worried about him and called every day to make sure he was eating.

International students are required to come to Australia with enough money to support themselves for their first year.
They are allowed to work 40 hours a fortnight under the conditions of their student visas.

However, they are not eligible for the government’s coronavirus support packages that apply to domestic students who have lost their jobs.

Opposition Treasury spokesman Jim Chalmers has called on the government to expand the $130bn JobKeeper wage subsidy to include more than a million casual and foreign workers who are ineligible for the scheme. Dr Chalmers’ plea for Josh Frydenberg “to make a good policy much better” came after the Treasurer ruled out a further expansion of eligibility.

“He had the opportunity to do the right thing by more than a million Australian casuals and by temporary workers as well who can't get home, and unfortunately, he didn’t grab that opportunity,” Dr Chalmers said on Sunday.