How work and holiday visa holders survive in Australia amid coronavirus crisis

Small Business Owner Affected by COVID-19

Source: Getty Images/RichLegg

Hoping to earn money to build his dream business in Indonesia, Edwin was so excited when he finally got his work and holiday visa and came to Australia. But with coronavirus looms over the country's businesses, work termination is an inevitable scenario for him.


Having failed to get an Australia's Work and Holiday Visa (WHV) back in 2018, Edwin finally arrived in the country in February using this type of visa.

Hoping to seek experience and save money to build his dream business in Indonesia, this Pekanbaru man immediately started working on his arrival in Sydney.

But because the impact of the coronavirus outbreak is unbearable for some of the business owners, Edwin is among those employees who got his contract terminated from the warehouse and restaurant where he worked for around a month.

Now being unemployed but must continue to pay for his survival in Australia, how does Edwin get through it in the past month? And what will he do next?

Click on the podcast for the full story.

People in Australia must stay at least 1.5 metres away from others and gatherings are limited to two people unless you are with your family or household.

If you believe you may have contracted the virus, call your doctor (don’t visit) or contact the national Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080. If you are struggling to breathe or experiencing a medical emergency, call 000.

SBS is committed to informing Australia’s diverse communities about the latest COVID-19 developments. News and information in Indonesian is available at sbs.com.au/language/indonesian/coronavirus-updates 


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How work and holiday visa holders survive in Australia amid coronavirus crisis | SBS Indonesian