Coronavirus: NSW leads plan to bring 1000 overseas students per week

The NSW government is taking a plan to national cabinet to bring up to 1000 international students a week into Sydney starting next year.

Under the plan, the students will use up nearly one-third of the state’s 3000 passenger a week limit on overseas entries. Picture: Adam Yip

The NSW government is taking a plan to national cabinet to bring up to 1000 international students a week into Sydney starting in the new year, giving NSW universities a head start on other states in restarting the lucrative international student business.

The students, to arrive on charter flights, will use up nearly one-third of the state’s 3000 passenger a week limit on overseas entries. But the first arrivals won’t occur until after Christmas so Australi­ans stranded abroad have a chance to get home for the holidays.

The plan is strongly backed by NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian because of the economic benefit it will bring NSW. The state earned $14.6bn export revenue from international education in 2019.

University of Wollongong vice-chancellor Paul Wellings, who convenes the NSW Vice-Chancellors’ Committee, said universities were very encouraged by Ms Berejiklian’s support.

“It will give a pipeline of new and continuing students the opportunity to come in,” he said.

The students will be spread between the 11 NSW universities, as well as TAFE colleges and five private education providers, based on their share of the international student market before COVID-19.

The Morrison government, which controls immigration, will need to approve the plan but federal Education Minister Dan Tehan said “we want to work with states and territories to see what we can do to get international students returning after Christmas”.

“Obviously, our priority has been to get Australians home for Christmas, and to see whether we can work with them (states and territories) to get the pipeline of international students started,” Mr Tehan said on ABC radio.

The NSW move was welcomed by International Education Association of Australia chief executive Phil Honeywood.

“The sector really respects the NSW premier’s commitment to bringing students back early in the new year. There is every chance now that NSW will become the market leader if other states plans do not place emphasis on adequate student numbers,” he said.

The arriving students will need to spend two weeks in quarantine, and some universities are willing to pay the $3000 quarantine cost on the students’ behalf.

If the NSW plan gets the go-ahead it will lead to a massive increase in the numbers of arriving students. Apart from a few special cases, the only students to arrive so far are a group of 63 who entered Darwin last month.

South Australia was planning to receive 300 students, also starting in November, but this has been postponed until next year.

Western Australia has also submitted a plan to national cabinet for international student return but is understood not to be planning for arrivals until after the March state election.