The Australian government is currently preparing to safely reopen its international borders. The double dose vaccination throughout the country is currently standing at 55 percent and is on track to reach the 70 percent benchmark soon.
The TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration) has approved and registered four COVID-19 vaccines: Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna, and Janssen . The TGA is also looking into other vaccines that are widely used around the world.
Australia will soon be moving towards opening international travel for fully vaccinated Australian citizens within weeks, going to Phase B of the National Plan to reopen Australia. Phase B refers to opening the borders to offshore Australians and Australian workers. The plan requires all returning citizens to be on a 7 day quarantine if vaccinated and a 14 day quarantine if not.
International travel is set to resume starting November for returning Australians but for international students, there have been no official news by the Morrison government. However, different states are currently making plans to get international students back to Australia and it is believed to begin by December 2021.
The New South Wales pilot plan is expected to limit about 500 international students to come back in December. Universities are regularly continuing their efforts to work with the government to make sure students can swiftly start their education in Australia.
Victoria also has its own pilot plan for students. According to the plan. 120 international students will be allowed to come each week. The Victorian Government’s Student Arrivals Plan will prioritize students who need to undertake practical work to continue or complete their degrees.
Even though normal life has returned to the state due to its excellent mandates regarding COVID, Western Australia continues to be cautious about admitting international visitors into the country. Premier Mark McGowan of Western Australia had stated that overseas travel will not be resumed until next year.
All in all, the states are very optimistic about wanting international students to safely come to Australia, but are also cautious about the threat another lockdown will have on the whole country. International students will probably be feeling Australian soil by 2022, but physical classes in a normal manner will probably only start from the second semester (July-August) of 2022.
So, those who have already gotten their visas and are studying online with their respective Australian universities and those who want to study in Australia, 2022 will probably bring more answers to you. Till then, keep visiting our blogs, and we will keep updating you on Australia !
