Updated on June 11th, 2026
Indian students planning to travel to Australia have a question we are all trying to answer, but we’re still wondering how to fix it. The question is, when can Indian students travel to their dreamland to join their studies? Several international students, including thousands from India, who enrolled at Australian universities, remain offshore due to strict border closures. Parents, students & education consultants are estimating the timeline for student return. Australia’s economy is on track, though it has been affected by COVID-19 to some extent. The credits for this go to the country’s stable financial system. But it had a significant impact on the education sector.
Overseas students cannot travel to Australia to join their classes. Universities and other institutions are struggling to survive. It disrupted their economic structure so much that they cannot pay salaries to their staff, leaving them without regular jobs. Figures show that Universities shed at least 17,300 jobs in 2020.
Indian students are waiting for the opening of borders
International education is the country’s fourth-biggest export, with A$40.3 billion in 2019. The closure of borders for international students results in a loss of 9 billion. These figures are from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABC). The country’s borders have been effectively closed to international students for well over a year, and there is still no clear-cut sign of when they will reopen. Over 110,000 international students currently enrolled in higher education courses in Australia are studying remotely due to border closures, according to federal government figures.
According to data released by the Department of Education, Skills and Employment in May, the number of Indian students enrolled in Australian universities dropped by 13 per cent between January and May this year, compared with the same period last year.
An initiative by South Australia
South Australia previously announced a pilot plan to allow international students to travel to Australia and quarantine at Parafield Airport, offering early indications of the border opening for international students. Under the plan, 160 students would be quarantined at Parafield Airport and be required to have daily COVID-19 tests. Parafield Airport is on the edge of the residential suburb of Parafield. It’s in South Australia, 18 km north of the Adelaide city centre. It is Adelaide’s second airport and the third busiest airport in Australia by aircraft movements. After China, India is among the biggest sources of international students for SA. Outside China, India is the next-largest source of overseas students for South Australia.
Sydney lockdown & its effects
Similarly, NSW announced its plan to bring back international students in June, which was under review by the federal government. They did not include India in this pilot plan, though. This NSW government plan was about to proceed, but the outbreak of the virus in Sydney delayed it. They extended lockdowns many times. NSW has paused plans to fly in international students to help kick-start the struggling education sector. Premier Ms Berejiklian said recently that we had put the pilot program on hold. Adding the government would not compromise its ability to exit the lockdown as quickly as possible.
Federal Education Minister Alan Tudge further endorsed the statement, saying ‘the NSW government had made the right call in pausing the pilot’. Sydney is currently battling a spike in infections from the highly contagious Delta variant, prompting New South Wales (NSW) Premier Gladys Berejiklian to pause the student pilot program while the state remains in lockdown.
Over the past year, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory have also announced similar student return plans, but have not implemented them. Other states also followed the same, but there’s no concrete answer. Whether international students can travel to Australia remains uncertain, as the country shut its borders in March 2020.
Changing the mindset of students
There is increasing frustration among students planning to study in Australia. Whereas other countries are relaxing restrictions and openly managing and facilitating the safe return of students, Australia seems more conscious of it. Students are changing their choice to other destinations like the UK & USA. It is very clear that the fate of the international education sector rests on Australia’s border policy. The most important factor in the sector’s recovery is the rate at which both new and returning international students can enter the country. Experts claim global competitors are gaining because of Australia’s tight border policy.
In the concluding lines, we can still hope for the early reopening of borders for Indian students. We are all expecting it sooner. The country needs a national proactive strategy to bring back existing students as a priority. Although Prime Minister announced the opening of borders from November 1 for a few categories but has not yet communicated a specific timeline for their student return.
…recent updates (Nov. 2021)
As per media reports, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on 12th Nov 2021 in Melbourne that international travellers and students from India could soon enter the country. He further clarified that the government had already expanded the definition of the immediate family. This will allow the parents of permanent residents and citizens to be allowed for entering Australia.
Stories Around Every Turn from Kasol to Tosh
A memorable journey to Tosh filled with mountain views, peaceful streets, cafés, and unforgettable travel memories.
2 Comments
Australia will come back with a boom for international students. And they will soon be able to Travel and reinstate their studies in Australia. Students who have been granted visas should study online and focus on Education. Keep writing.
Thanks for adding feedback.