Int’l Students’ Return to Australia May Be At Risk Yet Again—Experts

Australia—Experts believed that the advanced plans to bring international students to Australia are now under threat following Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s decision on Friday to halve the number of Australians allowed to return home.

Australia plans to experiment with shorter isolation measures for travellers who are already vaccinated and, eventually, the return of international students. This move is in line with the four-stage strategy of the country to return to normalcy amidst the pandemic.

Under the first phase, Morrison said that fully vaccinated returning travellers would be allowed to isolate at home for seven days as part of a small-scale pilot, exempting them from requirements to spend 14 days in quarantine, usually in a hotel.

Meanwhile, a limited number of foreign students will be allowed to arrive in Australia for classes as part of another trial.

“We would be allowing a capped entry of student and economic visa holders, subject to quarantine arrangements and availability,” Morrison said.

However, such a called-off plan is perceived to cause severe damage to Australia’s reputation as a study destination for international students, which will hurt revenue streams into universities and colleges all at once. 

Still, some health experts worry that the government’s plans of reopening Australia is a premature move as the country has fully vaccinated around 6% of its population, and the Delta variant is still spreading.

Read more:

• Victoria Taps Kenya for Wider Int’l Education Network
• Australia Adopts New ‘Category Standards’ For HEIs
• The Australia-Singapore Travel Bubble Can Benefit International Students and HEIs

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