Scott Morrison announces MAJOR changes to visas for students and backpackers as PM insists Australia is NOT letting Omicron rip and people should 'respect' the virus not fear it Prime Minister Scott Morrison acknowledged Australians 'frustrating summer' He said the Omicron variant should be respected but not feared Mr Morrison provided details on his government's response in various areas He announced a new visa rebate scheme to bring backpackers back to Australia By Michael Pickering For Daily Mail Australia Published: 23:27 GMT, 18 January 2022 | Updated: 23:35 GMT, 18 January 2022 Viewcomments Prime Minister Scott Morrison has acknowledged Australians have experienced 'a frustrating summer' as the Omicron variant has swept the nation as he announced a new program to bring foreign students and backpackers back to Australia. In a press conference on Wednesday, Mr Morrison said Omicron has caused 'great disruption' all around the world. Mr Morrison said Australians must respect Omicron 'but not fear it'. 'You have seen queues, you have seen rising cases, you have seen pressures on hospital systems, you have seen disruption of supply chains, you have seen shortages of tests, you have seen all of these in all of these countries all around the world.' 'That is what Omicron has brought.' The prime minister announced a scheme to rebate the $630 fee for a visa application by about 150,000 foreign students and for around 23,500 backpackers, as the government seeks to boost workforce numbers. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australians should respect Omicron but not fear it in a press conference held on Wednesday 'We must respect it with sensible, balanced rules, sensible precautions, but at the same time, not shutting Australia away, not locking ourselves up, not destroying people's livelihoods and bringing our society to a halt.' 'We understand the great concerns particularly in the early stage of Omicron several weeks ago when we knew it was contagious, but we didn't quite know then just how severe it could be,' Mr Morrison admitted. 'Good news - yes, it is much more contagious, we do know that, but the good news is that it's far less severe, some 75 per cent less severe which has given us more options once we could have greater certainty about its severity impact.' The prime minister detailed his government's response to the outbreak in a wide range of areas, including health care, RATs, supply chains and support for those on pandemic leave. Mr Morrison has urged backpackers to 'come on down' to Australia, saying that for the next 12 weeks travellers would have their visa application fee rebated Mr Morrison urged backpackers to 'come on down' to Australia, saying that for the next 12 weeks travellers would have their visa application fee rebated. 'We want you to come to Australia and enjoy a holiday here in Australia, move all the way around the country, and the same time join our workforce and help us in our agricultural sector, in our hospitality sector, and so many of the other parts of the economy that rely on that labour,' Mr Morrison said. 'We'll be supporting that with a $3 million that will be giving to Tourism Australia to support a marketing program to target backpackers and students to get them out.' For the next eight weeks from today, foreign students will also be able to recoup their visa application fee. 'We also want them to come here and be able to be filling some of these critical workforce shortages, particularly those who are working and being trained in healthcare, aged care, those types of sectors, that will be incredibly helpful,' he said. Mr Morrison defended his government's performance in securing rapid antigen tests, telling reporters comments were being made 'with hindsight, rather than foresight'. Share or comment on this article: All rights reserved for this news site (dailymail) and under his responsibility