18-month roadmap for return of Australia's international students

Australia closed its borders to international students 18 months ago, with significant travel restrictions likely to remain till mid-2022. A round table of the education industry has provided the Australian government with an 18-month roadmap for recovery for the country’s international education industry. This will be accomplished by prioritising admission of continuing students from low-risk countries, proposing visa measures, and embarking on collaborative marketing campaign. This will be accompanied by visa fee waivers and an enhanced post-study work offer for foreign graduates. Charter and quarantine arrangements for incoming students are also being discussed.

State Governments have worked on unique safe arrival plans to bring 160 foreign students per fortnight into a dedicated quarantine facility in Adelaide. A second state-level plan, this time for New South Wales, had also been approved to bring 250 students per fortnight into a dedicated quarantine site. But this has been hampered by a recent surge in COVID-19 cases in Australia, as Sydney and Melbourne as well as cities in Victoria and New South Wales are currently under strict lockdown orders.