Australian Immigration Daily News

With the number of international student enrolments dropping rapidly across the country, ACT has announced a pilot program to reintroduce foreign students back into Australian universities.

As the number of COVID19 infections continues to stabilise across the country, each State and Territory is looking at ways to get the economy back on track.

Since the pandemic the travel ban blocked nearly 120,000 students from entering Australia causing major economic strain on education sector.

The program will see students being able to enter the ACT in controlled number in as early as July. As the program commences initial numbers will be limited to only a few hundred. Announcing the territory's plans, ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said they are "best-placed" to lead the pilot plan because Canberra continues to remain open for interstate Australians. 

“We have done a lot of work with the universities over the last six weeks or so to have a really well-developed proposal that's before the Commonwealth,” said the chief minister. 

“So, I am confident that yes given we have not closed our borders to other Australians that we are the best-placed jurisdiction to manage that first international student pilot back into Australia.”

The initiative is supported by the Federal Government when Scott Morrison has initially released his six stage plan to re-open borders.

Following the announcement, Victoria and NSW are also in discussions to open doors to new international students. Bleak figures released by Department of Education, Skills and Employment, more than 22,000 international students applied for deferments of their course in the month of April compared to approximately 3,000 in the same period last month.

In the meantime, anyone who is wishing to travel in or out of Australia must obtain exemption before they are able to travel.  This includes Australian permanent residents as well as citizens.

Valid reasons for travel include, emergency relief, employment ties and also compelling or compassionate grounds.

Further announcements are expected to occur in July.

https://www.dese.gov.au/covid-19