30 April 2020

Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Changes to student visa work conditions for workers of registered NDIS providers

The Department of Home Affairs has written to registered NDIS providers to announce temporary changes to work visa conditions for international students working for them.

This alert contains a link to that letter.

Key points

• International students currently working for registered NDIS providers will be exempt from the usual 40-hour per fortnight work limit.
• The changes are to support providers who are likely to face staffing challenges as existing staff are either subject to self-isolation requirements or due to exposure to COVID-19.
• These changes are temporary and will be reviewed regularly.

Relaxation of student visa work conditions

To allow registered NDIS providers to better use your existing workforce to respond to COVID-19, the Australian Government has announced a temporary lifting of the work restrictions for international students.

This means international students in your current workforce are no longer restricted to working 40 hours per fortnight. The changes do not apply to any new employees you engage.

These temporary changes have been introduced to support providers who are likely to face staffing challenges as existing staff are either subject to self-isolation requirements or due to exposure to COVID-19.

These changes to student visa work conditions are temporary and will be reviewed regularly.

The Department of Home Affairs will advise in writing when these temporary measures will be removed.

Further information about these changes are in the letter from the Department of Home Affairs.

For further information about these changes, visit the Department of Home Affairs  website. 

Further information, alerts and resources

• The Coronavirus (COVID-19) information webpage on the NDIS Commission website contains links to updates, training, alerts and other resources. We also have a COVID-19 webpage containing information for people with disability.

Contact Us

• Call: 1800 035 544 (free call from landlines). Our contact centre is open 9.00am to 4.30pm in the NT, 9.00am to 5.00pm in the ACT, NSW, QLD, SA, TAS and VIC Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays.
• Email: contactcentre@ndiscommission.gov.au
• Website: www.ndiscommission.gov.au

Links to previous COVID-19 provider alerts 

• 28 April 2020: FAQs for all stakeholders and information for NDIS participants
• 20 April 2020: Management and Operational Plan for People with Disability
• 9 April 2020: Further assistance for organisations, people and households
• 9 April 2020: April 2020 Provider Newsletter (COVID-19)
• 3 April 2020: Adjusting supports and reducing infection risk
• 2 April 2020:  Practice Alert: Influenza (flu) vaccine from mid-April 2020
• 31 March 2020: Supporting providers to respond
• 26 March 2020: Assistance for organisations
• 24 March 2020: Information for support workers and access to PPE
• 19 March 2020: Business continuity planning
• 17 March 2020: Online training module for support workers
• 9 March 2020: Provider obligations and COVID-19 health information
• 7 February 2020: Information about the novel coronavirus outbreak