The Indian High Commission in Australia has advised international students currently stuck in India, to register with the group online. This, they say, is in the interest of their health amid the pandemic, and also there come back to Australia when the borders reopen.
More than 110,000 international students are currently enrolled higher education providers in Australia, are studying online due to the border closings, according to federal government statistics. Many of them are stuck in India.
The Indian High Commission in Canberra has released an advisory for such students stuck in their home country India who have valid study visas, to submit their name, passport number, and visa details via a form available on their official website. In addition, they have been requested to suggest the name and details of their course and university in Australia.
Explaining on the objective of the registration, the high commission’s report added that it is necessary to keep a track record of the number of students influenced by COVID-related border limits.
The high commission also said that the database would also help them in helping stuck students returning to Australia when the government revokes the border ban. Australian borders have been closed to commercial global traffic since March 2020. This forbids the entry of all temporary visa holders, as well as international students, except they have an internal travel exemption.
The education minister advises universities to bring back international students.
In the Budget announcement in May, a key belief in its financial forecast was that international students will only be able to go back to the country as part of “small phased programs” later this year, and student numbers will only “gradually rise” from 2022.
