Computer engineers Omid and Samira had always dreamed of coming to Australia. That dream came true this year when they left Iran in search of a better life.
But now the couple, who are both in their 30s, are among hundreds of new migrants pleading with the federal government to make them eligible for income support.
JobKeeper and JobSeeker have been extended beyond the original September deadline at reduced levels, but temporary visa holders remain ineligible.
Omid and Samira landed in Adelaide in March after a string of cancelled flights, finding themselves in the peak of the pandemic in South Australia. They were aware their timing couldn’t have been worse.
“We wanted a better quality of life and career path but it was a very tough situation because of COVID-19,” Omid told SBS News. “The city was potentially going into lockdown so finding a job is very hard and it’s a terrible situation.”
Omid and Samira are on skilled working visas and were directed to move to South Australia as part of their pathway after the state was declared a ‘regional area’ for the purpose of migration as part of sweeping visa changes last year.
But despite both Omid and Samira being experts in one of Adelaide’s growing industries, and their years of experience, they haven’t made it past an interview.
“We are software developers and our skills in the Adelaide market are very good. Unfortunately finding a job in this situation was very hard for us because of the lockdowns and being newcomers during this time,” Samira said.
Omid and Samira are both computer engineers but have struggled to find work in Adelaide. Source: Sam Okely
They are not alone, with figures provided to SBS News by the office of David Pisoni, the South Australian Minister for Innovation and Skills, showing there are more than 5,000 people residing in the state on skilled working visas.
Many are now unemployed, despite their skills, and want to be made eligible for the government’s wage subsidies.
“Finding a job isn’t easy, and the second wave is harder than before. The government didn’t support us and it wasn’t fair,” Omid said.
“It shouldn’t matter what visa you are on, everyone has a reason why they’ve come to this country and everyone just wants to contribute. But we can’t do that without government support.”
South Australia is also home to the highest number of Safe Haven Enterprise visa (SHEV) holders in the country, according to the latest figures available.
More than 1,300 migrants who have applied for protection under the SHEV pathway were in South Australia as of September 2019. Queensland had the next highest at more than 900.
People on these visas also don’t qualify for welfare support.
The Welcoming Centre, a charity in Adelaide run by not-for-profit organisation Welcoming Australia, says services like theirs are being pushed to their limits to try and pick up the pieces.
“We’ve seen a 300 per cent increase in the amount of people who are needing emergency relief and assistance,” Welcoming Australia’s campaign manager Kate Leaney said.
“We are really only scraping the sides of the barrel in what emergency relief is able to support and we don’t have the capacity to provide ongoing income relief.” 
The charity is also urging the federal government to provide backup to help those who have been sent to regional areas.
The Welcoming Centre has seen a 300 per cent increase in the number of people needing help. Source: Sam Okely
“They’ve moved to Adelaide to settle into the lifestyle and they could not have predicted that a pandemic would happen in 2020,” Ms Leaney said.
“We are able to provide rent assistance and food hampers that are a short term fix. But we really need to invest in a safety net.”
The Department of Home Affairs did not respond to a request for comment.
Last financial year, temporary visa holders were given access to up to $10,000 of their superannuation to support themselves through the pandemic.
In some cases, they can also apply for a financial hardship payment under the Special Benefit scheme.
Minister for Immigration David Coleman said in a statement in April that temporary visa holders were “an important part of our economy and society” but anyone who could not afford to stay should return to their country of origin.
“Temporary visa holders who are unable to support themselves ... over the next six months are strongly encouraged to return home. For these individuals, it's time to go home, and they should make arrangements as quickly as possible,” he said.
Despite there being no promise of further assistance, many new migrants are refusing to give up as they are aware of others even less fortunate.
Omid and Samira are now helping out at The Welcoming Centre. Source: Sam Okely
Omid and Samira are now volunteering with The Welcoming Centre, which has seen demand for its food delivery service triple over the past three months.
“We are human, we need to work together, we are all the same. We have made friends to help each other get through this difficult time,” Omid said.
Donations to the food delivery service are going directly to refugees, as well as international students who have also been impacted by the pandemic.
“Some of the people are in a very bad situation, even worse than us and it’s not fair, so we decided to volunteer. We get a lot out of the packing and delivering the useful groceries and helping others but we do pray this situation is temporary,” Samira said.
Omid and Samira are also using their skills to enhance the centre’s computer system and add local experience to their CVs.
They want to help the country they always dreamed of living in to bounce back.
“Australia is a very big country, it’s a very beautiful country and I like it. I hope the government will reverse their wage subsidy decision,” Omid said.
Sam Okely is a freelance journalist based in Adelaide.
