Understand Australia
250 International students to Sydney every fortnight
There is a proposal to return some international students to NSW universities as a joint undertaking between the NSW Government, Study NSW and all NSW universities. It aims to progressively, and safely, return international students enrolled in our universities to NSW so they can continue their studies on campus. The proposal has been submitted to the Australian Federal Government for approval.
Initially the pilot program will welcome 250 students a fortnight back to all Universities in NSW, increasing to 500 by the end of 2021. Students who must undertake face-to-face learning to complete their degrees will be prioritised as part of this plan. Eligible students will also be required to complete the mandatory 14 day quarantine period.
This pilot program is supported by the University sector and will be run in parallel to the current arrangements to return Australian citizens to Australia. All costs will be managed by the University sector. The proposal has been approved by NSW Health and NSW Police.
Who will be eligible to return?
To be eligible to return to Sydney, students must satisfy and agree to some basic requirements:
- Only a small number of students will initially be eligible to return.
- Students will need a valid Australian Student Visa.
- Students will need to return a negative COVID-19 test pre-departure.
- Eligible students will be contacted by the University once the proposal is approved.
What happens next?
The proposal will wait the Australian Federal Government’s approval and all students will be kept up to date with information as it is available.
The universities will make direct contact with students who are eligible to participate in the program via their official University email.
How can I register my interest?
At this stage students cannot register their interest for the program. Eligible students will be contacted directly by the universities via their official university email.
Speaking in Sydney, New South Wales Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said this will not impact the number of people returning to the state on other commercial flights.
“This won’t come at the expense of returning Aussies. We will continue to bring back 3,000 people per week – well more than any other state,” he said.
The treasurer added that taxpayers won’t fund the accommodation of returning international students in the state.
/ New South Wales Treasurer Domini Perrottet
Universities are expected to foot their quarantine bill as students will stay at a purpose-built accommodation and follow the same quarantine protocols as other returning international travellers, Mr Perrottet explained.
But many say it has come a bit late. Many students said the government should have acted faster. Students enrolled in university in other states, says other Australian states should also follow New South Wales and bring back students from overseas.
The education industry in New South Wales had generated $14.6 billion in 2019. The arrival of international students could particularly benefit the state’s hospitality and retail sectors – where international students work in large numbers – have been struggling with workforce.
“International education is our second-most valuable export and we need to do what we can to help students return and revive this sector as quickly as possible,” Mr Perrottet added while making this announcement.
“Typically, we have more than 250,000 international students studying in NSW each year, and they directly supported over 95,000 local jobs before the pandemic. If we don’t act fast, students will turn to other overseas destinations, and it could take the sector decades to recover.
“That’s why we’ve developed a pilot plan supported by NSW Health and NSW Police that enables 250 international students to come to Sydney per fortnight from mid-year, in a gradual approach that will enable us to closely manage the process and ensure community health is not compromised,” he elaborated.
