Building A Plan For International Students To Return To Australia

TIME CRUNCH? HIGHLIGHTS:
An industry roundtable gave the Australian government an 18-month recovery plan for the foreign education sector.
The roadmap prioritizes continuing scholars from low-risk nations, suggests a visa package, and suggests a joint marketing campaign.
The Australian government has indicated that many travel restrictions will stay in place until mid-2022. But the country’s international education industry is still working on significant recovery measures. Peak bodies are holding monthly industry roundtables involving various experts and travel industry partners to prepare for easing present border restrictions. These conversations led to a set of rehabilitation principles that prioritize safety and low-risk student acceptance. They’ve also improved their post-study career offer for international grads and proposed faster visa processing. The sector is also coordinating with significant travel and housing providers to arrange for student charter and quarantine. Except for a restricted trial in the Northern Territory, the first state safe arrival strategy was authorized for South Australia in June 2021. The trial program, which is still ongoing, seeks to bring 160 international students to Adelaide every two weeks.

On July 29, Education Minister Alan Tudge announced a second state-level plan, this time for NSW. It would have put 250 pupils in quarantine every two weeks. But a recent rise of COVID-19 cases in Australia has impeded that endeavor and the recovery planning process. Due to an increase in cases, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian halted the student pilot. Health authorities have now extended the measures to other Victoria and New South Wales cities to slow infection rates.

The vaccination introduction in Australia has been somewhat gradual. Around 17% of eligible Australians are fully vaccinated as of August 11 2021, ranking 35th out of 38 OECD countries. At the current vaccination rate, most Australian states will achieve the 80% mark by late November or early December 2021.