The COVID-19 pandemic affected studies, which was very detrimental to education abroad. Countries closed their borders for international students, and Australia was no exception. There is a considerably large pool of Indian students studying in Australian universities. The lockdowns, closure of international borders, and online mode of education impacted the overall studies and the psyche of the students. The Australian government took note of it, and now things are coming back to normal. With a majority of people both in Australia and India receiving both the dose of vaccine, it becomes logical and the most prudent decision to open up the borders for international students.
NSW has also decided to welcome the international students so that they don’t end up wasting their precious academic time by sitting idle in their homes. However, certain guidelines are put in place to ensure students’ safety and local people. Since new variants are coming, it becomes crucial for the government to put some checks on the international students who wish to pursue higher education in Australia. We will discuss all the requirements and regulations that you have to follow as an international student when entering New South Wales.
Ensuring Safe Entry to New South Wales (NSW)
The New South Wales government is working along with the Australian government, Study NSW, the Department of Education, and other stakeholders to outline the regulations. You have to fulfill all the regulations so that you can be allowed to continue your study in NSW. The state officials are working in close coordination with the National Transition Plan laid out by the Australian government. The transition will require cautious steps to be taken, and it will need a concerted effort from all the concerned stakeholders, including students.
Things You Need to Know Before Planning to Return Sydney and NSW
If you are an Indian student, who is fully vaccinated, and fulfilling all the visa criteria, in that case, you don’t need to apply for any travel exemption. Indian vaccines are recognized in Australia, and you can travel to Australia by simply following these steps:
- You have to check the status of your visa on the VEVO website.
- You have to provide proof of getting both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine approved and recognized by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). For Indian students, there are no issues in this regard as both Indian vaccines (Covishield and Covaxin) are on the list of acceptable vaccinations.
- You also have to give proof of vaccination, i.e., the vaccine certificate.
- You have to give a COVID negative test report, and that report shouldn’t be more than three days prior to the date of travel to Australia.
- You can take either a PCR or any other Nucleic Acid Amplification Test. Proof of a negative Rapid Antigen Test is also acceptable if taken under the supervision of a medical practitioner within 24 hours of the scheduled departure of the flight.
- You have to fill out an Australian Travel Declaration 3 days before the scheduled departure from India.
- If you test positive using a Rapid Antigen Test after reaching NSW, you must submit the report to the Service NSW app. If tested positive, you must isolate yourself for seven days. In case you don’t report your positive test report, a fine of $1000 will be imposed on you.
New Plan For the Entry of International Students at NSW
NSW benefits immensely from international students, and the past two years instant online payday loans have been very difficult for both the students and NSW. Now that things are returning to normalcy, it becomes imperative to welcome international students so that the education ecosystem can bloom once more. Since countries have varying plans to allow international traveling, it becomes important for the NSW authorities to let students come in small batches. Also, the entry of students might vary depending on the prevailing situation in a particular country. Chartered planes are allowed to bring in students from different countries. For instance, the first batch comprised 266 students from 19 countries, including China, South Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, etc. So, students can expect a similar travel arrangement unless the commercial flight operations resume in full swing.