Business NSW is calling on state and federal governments to focus on skilled migrant visas following a lukewarm announcement for international students’ work hours.

International students are a crucial source of workers for businesses across NSW, yet federal government changes announced February 21 will provide limited support to already-struggling enterprises.

From June 30 student visa holders will be allowed to work a total of 48 hours per fortnight, up from the pre-Covid level of 40 hours.

Disappointingly, a special pandemic provision which allowed student visa holders to work unlimited hours was not extended beyond June 30.

A further change means selected new and existing international graduate visa holders will now be eligible to work for four years post-graduation, an increase from two years.

These changes are a step in the right direction but more needs to be done, Business NSW CEO Dan Hunter said.

“With a record number of job vacancies in NSW, nine in ten businesses are unable to recruit staff they need to keep their doors open,” Mr Hunter said

“We’ve all heard about businesses being forced to close early, reduce their trading days or shut their doors completely because they don’t have enough staff.

“With businesses already juggling interest rate rises, ballooning energy costs and supply chain problems, labour shortage relief would be more than welcome.”

As part of Business NSW’s We Mean Business election campaign, Business NSW is calling on the state and federal governments to work together to expand the NSW Skilled Visa Nomination program from 15,000 to at least 30,000 places to begin to address worker shortages.

“Businesses need to be able to operate without being handcuffed by a people and skills shortage,” he said.