Fully vaccinated international students to return to WA for Semester 1 2022

Western Australia will be welcoming back fully vaccinated international students in time for Semester 1 2022, in line with the rest of the nation.

Following the announcement of WA's Safe Transition Plan last Friday, Education Minister, Sue Ellery, convened a meeting of education leaders to confirm the conditions for the safe return of international students to WA. 

Once the State achieves an 80% double vaccination rate, which is anticipated to occur in December, the official date of the border opening will be announced by the WA Government. International arrivals, including returning international students, will be able to enter Western Australia on this date subject to the State achieving a 90% double vaccination rate.

Minister Ellery confirmed that WA's Safe Transition Plan anticipated a reopening date in late January or early February 2022, which would allow eligible international students to arrive in time for Semester 1 2022 or to commence any required English language tuition or other preparatory courses before Semester 2.

When entering WA, fully vaccinated international students will not be required to quarantine as long as they return a negative PCR test 72 hours prior to departure and complete a G2G pass.

Non-vaccinated international students will not be permitted to enter WA.

StudyPerth's CEO Philip Payne advised, "We'll be able to return a small number of students for Semester 1 around the same time as the rest of the country, and the industry nationally should normalise by Semester 2.”

“This timeline effectively puts us on the same timeframe as the rest of the international student market in Australia,” Minister Ellery noted. 

In preparation for the WA border opening, the WA Government is leading an aviation revival plan to support the return of both international students and tourists to Western Australia. 

With one of the strongest economies in the world and a well-deserved reputation as a COVID-safe destination, WA will be at an advantage in attracting international students in 2022. Minister Ellery emphasised this point, “The product... we will be able to offer parents is significantly different to what the east coast can offer.”

International students have always been a vibrant and valued part of the Western Australian community, bringing with them cultural diversity and many of the skills and global connections that will allow our economy to further strengthen. A thriving international education sector creates jobs in all parts of the economy, benefitting and enriching the state.

To prepare for their return to WA, international students should:

• Ensure they are fully vaccinated with a TGA approved vaccine
• Contact their travel agent and start looking into their travel arrangements to WA
• Understand their local COVID-19 testing arrangements
• Understand how to get a G2G pass

Full details of the Plan will be made available as we reach the next vaccination milestone in mid-December. We look forward to being able to provide you with more updates.

Read more here: https://www.6pr.com.au/wa-to-allow-international-students-in-2022/