Australia: Closure of Pandemic Event Subclass 408 Visa

The government has announced the closure of the Temporary Activity Visa (subclass 408) Australian Government endorsed events (COVID-19 Pandemic Event) visa (Pandemic Event visa), which was introduced in 2020 to enable temporary migrants to remain in Australia during COVID-19 pandemic border closures. As Australia’s borders have re-opened and temporary visa holder numbers have returned to pre-COVID levels, the Pandemic Event visa is no longer required. From September 2, 2023, the Pandemic Event visa will only be available to existing Pandemic Event visa holders. This group will continue to be eligible for subsequent Pandemic Event visas up until the visa is fully closed on February 1, 2024. There are phased measures for the closure.