Will international students be allowed to return to New South Wales in 2021?

International students could be allowed to return to New South Wales as early as January 2021.

State Premier Gladys Berejiklian has announced that she would like to welcome 1,000 international students per week in a bid to boost the economy. 

In an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald, Berejikian revealed that she wants New South Wales to save a third of hotel quarantine spots for international students, skilled migrants and specialist workers.

Sydney, Australia

However, the state is not in a position to increase its quarantine capacity so other states would need to “lift their game” in order to allow room.  
 
"NSW would like to look at things that boost our economy... not just returning Aussies," Berejikian said. "We would like to start that as soon as we can in the new year but obviously that’s up to the federal government to let us do that."

In response to her comments, a government spokesperson argued that the priority of hotel quarantine remains for Australians returning from overseas.

Byron Bay, Australia

“While we look forward to welcoming international students back and will continue planning for their return, we cannot progress the broader entry of international students at this time,” they said.

This news comes after it was announced that up to 300 international students are scheduled to return to three universities in Adelaide between November 2020 and January 2021.

At the time of writing this, the number of students has not been confirmed. They will be travelling from Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, China, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong and Indonesia.

International students have not been allowed to enter Australia since March 2020 as a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic.     

If you have questions about your student visa or Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) during the Covid-19 pandemic, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today for free advice.