Beautiful Virgin Islands

Saturday, Sep 06, 2025

Australia's International Student Return Plan Likely To Exclude Chinese

Australia's International Student Return Plan Likely To Exclude Chinese

Though Chinese nationals make up most of Australia's international students, they are unlikely to return due to ineligibility of China's Covid vaccines.
A pilot program to allow some international students to return to Australia's most populous state is likely to exclude Chinese nationals due to rules surrounding vaccination status.

The phased plan was approved by the federal government and the first flight carrying some 500 fully-vaccinated international students will arrive in New South Wales by the end of the year, the state government said Friday. Chinese nationals are Australia's biggest source of international students but they are likely to be ineligible to participate, because China's vaccines are not recognized by Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration.

"They will need to be double vaccinated with a vaccine that our federal authorities deemed to be adequate and effective and that is just the way it is," Premier Gladys Berejiklian told reporters. Those wanting to participate in the future need to "find access to a vaccine that is regarded as effective by our authorities. We don't want additional risk put into our system," she said.

International education was worth A$14.6 billion ($10.7 billion) to New South Wales in 2019, the state government said. Macquarie University, The University of Newcastle, The University of Sydney, University of New South Wales (UNSW) and University of Technology Sydney (UTS) are among the universities that will participate in the pilot plan.

More than 57,000 students are estimated to be overseas, according to the state government. Chinese nationals are Australia's biggest source of international students followed by those in India, Nepal and Vietnam, according to the Australian Trade Department.

Vaccines made by Beijing-based Sinovac Biotech Ltd. and state-owned Sinopharm are among the most used in China, and have efficacy rates ranging from around 50% to 80% in preventing symptomatic Covid. A vaccine developed by Sichuan Clover Biopharmaceuticals was found to prevent 79% of Covid-19 cases caused by the delta strain in late-stage trials.

Sinovac and Sinopharm have provided little conclusive data on the effectiveness of their shots against the delta variant, which is more infectious than the virus' original strain and appears to have dimmed the protection of existing vaccines.

New South Wales state capital Sydney has been at the epicenter of a delta outbreak that's forced Australia's largest city into lockdown for the past 90 days and spread to Melbourne and other east coast areas. On Friday, New South Wales reported 1,043 new Covid-19 cases in 24 hours, with 11 deaths. Victoria, Australia's second-most populous state, reported 733 new cases and 1 death.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
US Justice Department Launches Criminal Mortgage-Fraud Probe into Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Escalating Drug Trafficking and Violence in Latin America: A Growing Crisis
US and Taiwanese Defence Officials Held Secret Talks in Alaska
Report: Secret SEAL Team 6 Mission in North Korea Ordered by Trump in 2019 Ended in Failure
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Florida Murder Case: The Adelson Family, the Killing of Dan Markel, and the Trial of Donna Adelson
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
Brand-New $1 Million Yacht Sinks Just Fifteen Minutes After Maiden Launch in Turkey
Here’s What the FBI Seized in John Bolton Raid — and the Legal Risks He Faces
Florida’s Vaccine Revolution: DeSantis Declares War on Mandates
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
"The Situation Has Never Been This Bad": The Fall of PepsiCo
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
The Fashion Designer Who Became an Italian Symbol: Giorgio Armani Has Died at 91
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Queen Camilla’s Teenage Courage: Fended Off Attempted Assault on London Train, New Biography Reveals
Scottish Brothers Set Record in Historic Pacific Row
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Court of Appeal Allows Asylum Seekers to Remain at Essex Hotel Amid Local Tax Boycott Threats
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
Nvidia Reveals: Two Mystery Customers Account for About 40% of Revenue
Woody Allen: "I Would Be Happy to Direct Trump Again in a Film"
×