澳大利亚政府已向寻求满足避风港签证项目要求的受COVID-19疫情影响的避风港签证持有人提供了特许。寻求满足避风港签证项目要求的所有避风港签证持有人(无论是当前持有的还是以前持有的),如果他们在“特许期”内且持有避风港签证,存在以下情况,他们仍可以用这些时期来满足项目要求:
- 领取特殊福利金,或
- 失业,或
- 在避风港签证区域外从事基本服务工作。
注:
- COVID-19“特许期”是指从2020年2月1日起,由于疫情的持续性和不可预测性,尚未确定截止日期。
- “失业”是指不从事工作。
这意味着在特许期内,以下时期可以用来满足避风港签证项目的要求:
- 在避风港签证区域内工作或学习,无论是否领取特殊福利金;
- 在避风港签证区域外从事基本服务工作,无论是否领取特殊福利金;
- 失业期(即避风港签证持有人未从事工作的时期); 和
- 避风港签证持有人领取特殊福利金的期间。
COVID-19 Concessions
The Australian Government has provided concessions to SHEV holders seeking to meet the SHEV pathway requirements who are impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. All SHEV holders (both current and former) seeking to meet the SHEV pathway requirements can count periods of time towards the pathway requirement if during a ‘concession period’ and while holding a SHEV, they:
- access Special Benefit payments, or
- are unemployed, or
- work outside a SHEV regional area in an essential service
The COVID-19 ‘concession period’ refers to the time period from 1 February 2020 until a future date yet to be specified due to the ongoing and unpredictable nature of the pandemic.
The reference to being ‘unemployed’ is a reference to the fact of not being engaged in employment.
This means that during a concession period, the following periods will count towards the SHEV pathway requirements:
- employment or study in a SHEV regional area, regardless of whether Special Benefit payments are received;
- employment outside a SHEV regional area in an essential service, regardless of whether Special Benefit payments are received;
- periods of unemployment (i.e. periods when the SHEV holder is not engaged in employment); and
- periods during which the SHEV holder receives Special Benefit payments.