New South Wales Removes Quarantine for Fully Vaccinated International Students

International students who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will not be required to quarantine after entering New South Wales, the government has announced.

According to the state government, in order to avoid isolation, international students returning to New South Wales must be vaccinated with one of the vaccines recognized by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), Erudera.com reports.

The first chartered plane of international students returning to NSW under the state’s International Student Arrivals Pilot Plan is expected to touch down in Sydney on December 6, 2021.

As the plan foresees, the first plane will bring about 250 students to Sydney, nationals of more than 15 countries, including the following:

• Indonesia
• Singapore
• Vietnam
• South Korea
• China
• Canada

“In partnership with industry, we are continuing with our plans to return up to 500 students to the state by the end of the year and will provide any update as soon as possible,” the NSW government noted.

Meanwhile, students from South Asia and India are expected to return with the second flight.

Premier Dominic Perrottet stressed that the role of international education in connecting NSW to the world is vital, adding that nearly 290,000 students have been studying in the state before the pandemic hit, supporting more than 95,000 full-time jobs.

“This is a significant milestone in our roadmap to recovery and I can’t wait to welcome back such an important part of our community. They don’t just make a significant contribution to our economy, but international students play a role in our culture and contribute to our community and lifestyle,” Perrottet said.

Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney and Minister for Trade and Industry Stuart Ayres said that the Commonwealth Government must give approval to students so the latter can be allowed to travel to Australia.

Ayres also welcomed the collaboration with the Commonwealth Government in supporting international students as they return to NSW.

“This sends a clear message about how much NSW values our international students,” Ayres added.

International students will accommodate at student accommodation provider Scape, after the latter decided to partner with NSW government and education sector to support returning students under the pilot plan.

Most international students enrolled at Australian universities have been unable to enter the country since March 2020, when Australia closed its international borders. The latest announcement of the government to start allowing international students enter by December 2021 gave more hope to students remaining overseas since then.

Most recently, Australia recognized the Covaxin vaccine, manufactured by Bharat Biotech, India, meaning that international students vaccinated with it will also be permitted to enter Australia.