Tag: overseas students

Key Points:

  1. Victoria lifts travel restrictions on Western Australia
  2. Victoria reserves 120 seats for International Arrivals from May 2021
  3. Victoria renews plans to accept International Students

Victoria has made changes in travel rules from red to orange under the state’s travel permit system for the Peel and Perth regions of Western Australia.

Under the orange zone, people are allowed to travel but are required to isolate until their negative test. If they receive a negative COVID-19 test result,  then travellers will be eligible to end their isolation early after travelling from Perth. 

People can finish isolating themselves after receiving a negative report who have entered Perth and Peel when they were declared orange zones. Whereas people who entered Victoria when it was declared as a red zone will have to wait for approval from the Department of Health.

Victoria has renewed plans to start accepting international students and other international arrivals from next month. 120 people per week would be quarantined in a hotel outside Victoria who would arrive under the existing quarantine system.

Travellers who would be allowed to travel into Victoria from May 24 will include international students, actors and film crew, and major event organisers.

The Victorian government said that on the advice of their public health experts they have a proposal for a dedicated quarantine plan for economic cohorts, including international students. They would work together to welcome back international students.

Due to the pandemic, International students have been unable to travel to Australia after the country closed its border in 2020. With the delays in Australia’s vaccination rollout, the sector is asking the Australian government to establish a “Vaccination Passport” arrangement, CEO of IEAA Phil Honeywood added.

A vaccination passport would permit overseas students If international students can provide evidence of vaccination before boarding their flight. The Australian government is concerned with ensuring that the type of vaccine meets its health clearance protocols and that there is some independent verification that the student has actually been vaccinated. 

The chief executive of Australian Universities, Catriona Jackson said we hope the issues with the vaccination program won’t delay the return of overseas students. He said any further delay in reopening international borders for international students will mean a huge loss to Australian universities and national prosperity. 

The government is looking forward to the peaceful return of international students, who bring a great deal of cultural and economic prosperity, adding $40 billion to the GDP and supporting 250,000 jobs.

Catriona Jackson called for a national plan to bring universities, state and territory governments, and the Commonwealth together to coordinate safe return efforts. Border closures are causing increasing concern among Australian institutions that depend on international students.

The education department said that International students are an integral part of the Australian community and will be welcomed back with the help of “Vaccination Passport”.

After Covid-19 imposed border restrictions, newly appointed Immigration Minister Alex Hawke announced today that the government intends to allow temporary visa holders to return to the country as soon as possible, including international students and visitors.

Immigration Minister, Mr. Hawke said the government is planning to open the international border soon. COVID taught us one thing, and that is, we must cherish tourists to our economy and temporary visa holders. Mr. Hawke said we want them back as soon as possible. He believes that migration will be crucial to Australia’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

That’s why the government is expanding our vaccination program and planning to open our international borders so that we can have visitors in our country who spend so much money and also, international students which is largest export sectors of our country, they both add value to the Australian economy. Mr. Alex said we want them back.

Mr. Alex Hawke’s statement comes as the latest data from the Ministry of Home Affairs shows that offshore international students’ visa applications have dropped by 65% in the second half of 2020 relative to the previous year 2019. He also said the biggest drop has been seen in visa applications from India- which is the largest source of students to Australia.

Mr. Hawke said he believes that international students visa applications will surely rise once they reopen the country’s border because we have the best education system internationally.