The NSW government has announced that 250 students per fortnight will be able to return to NSW from early December 2021.

Q. When will the NSW International Student Arrivals Pilot Plan commence?

The Pilot Plan will allow a limited number of 250 international students studying with NSW education providers to return each fortnight from early December 2021.

Q. Who will inform international students if they are eligible to return to NSW?

Education providers will directly contact students invited to return to NSW, providing with them the information they require at every step of the NSW International Student Arrivals Pilot Plan.

Q. Who is funding the return of international students?

All costs associated with travel and quarantine will be borne by the education providers, with returning students covering flight costs. Specific details about the costs involved are still being finalised at this stage and will be communicated directly to international students.

Q. Do international students need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 before returning to NSW?

Based on current NSW Health advice, only students who are fully vaccinated with a vaccine recognised by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) will be eligible to return to NSW as part of the NSW International Student Arrivals Pilot Plan. The vaccines currently recognised by the TGA are the Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.

[Sources: NSW Government, Insider Guides, ABC News]