Mr Tudge said plans from Victoria and South Australia 'look promising and they are happening this year.'
Highlights:
- 'States like Western Australia and Queensland are yet to submit their plans'
- Australia to introduce International COVID-19 Vaccine Certificate this month: Minister Tudge
- Australia gets its majority of students from five countries, including India and China
"We are working closely with South Australia on final details of when and how students will return to there, under the plan we supported in June," Mr Tudge said in his speech at the Australian International Education Conference on Friday.
"The Victorian government submitted its to the Commonwealth just last night. It is now being reviewed by Commonwealth agencies.
"These are all very promising and they are happening this year," Minister Tudge said.
Late last month, the federal government gave its nod to the New South Wales' for the returning students. Under the first phase, about 500 international students will return on chartered flights before Christmas.
"We have small numbers coming in later this year which will hopefully build confidence," Mr Tudge said.
"Looking into next year, my expectation is that we will have very significant numbers coming in. I cannot put a figure on that just yet, but my hope would be that tens of thousands can return.
"While at least in the shorter term we may be limiting the numbers, my hope is that we can quickly get to unlimited numbers so that demand is the driver of numbers of incoming students, not the supply of available places," Minister Tudge added.
Chief Executive Officer of the International Education Association of Australia Phil Honeywood said he expects students in large numbers to return around March.
International Education Association of Australia CEO Phil Honeywood. Source: IEAA
"A momentum has been built with New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria coming forward with their plans. But others state like Western Australia and Queensland are yet to submit their plans to the federal government," Mr Honeywood told SBS Hindi.
Mr Honeywood said Minister Tudge's speech gives public and private education providers confidence to keep their doors open.
International student Tushar Joshi welcomed the development.
"I am happy that Australia will uncap the number of students arrivals next year. It will allow me to get on-campus education and learn more about Australia's multicultural society," Mr Joshi, a student at the University of Sydney, told SBS Hindi from his home in India's national capital New Delhi.
Mr Tudge said the federal government is introducing an 'International COVID-19 Vaccine Certificate' this month for Australians planning to travel overseas.
"It will be expanded to authenticate vaccination certificates issued by other countries," he said.
"We have already announced that international travel will recommence in November. Initially, this will be for Australians and permanent residents, with students and skilled workers the next cab off the ranks."
Mr Tudge said the government is trailing home-based quarantine arrangements.
"This is critical because, if successful, it can break the hotel quarantine bottleneck. This could potentially be for a matter of days, not weeks, in the not too distant future," he said.
"We are considering what policies we could put in place to help expedite the rapid return of students once supply no longer becomes the limiting factor."
Australia mostly gets its international students from five countries, including China and India.
Data from Universities Australia showed about 70 per cent (78,082) of Chinese students and 32 per cent (15,825) of Indian students in the higher education and postgraduate research sector were outside of Australia as of 13 September 2021.
