INTERNATIONAL STUDENT PILOT PROGRAM

The plan is a joint undertaking between the State Government, Study NSW and all NSW universities. On 24 September the NSW Government announced that the plan had been approved by the Australian Government to proceed.

Initially, the plan will see approximately 500 international students return to NSW on two flights in December 2021, followed by an evaluation before scaling to larger intakes from early 2022. Students will quarantine in government supervised purpose-built accommodation in Sydney upon return for 14 days before safely returning to campus.

Key Dates

6 October

EOI start date. Participate University will email all offshore continuing international students with an Expression of Interest (EOI) form to register their interest to return.

10 October

EOI closes at 11:59pm AEDT.

19 October

Participate University will inform students if they are eligible for the pilot program in December 2021 and issue eligible students an offer.

20 October

Deadline for students to accept their offer to participate in the pilot program in December 2021.

27 October – 10 November

Students book flights with FCM (government appointed travel agency).

10 November – 30 November

Pre-departure preparation for students who will arrive in December.

December

First two flights arrive in Sydney.

Eligibility to return

Under the pilot plan, Participate University expects to bring back approximately 45 students who have been fully vaccinated with Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) recognised vaccines. The current list of TGA recognised vaccines includes Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna, Janssen, Sinovac and Covishield. More vaccines are expected to be recognised by TGA for incoming travellers in the coming months.

Given the small scale of the pilot plan, eligible students will be contacted directly by the University. To be as fair and equitable as possible, the University will give priority to students who meet all of the following criteria:

  • are nearing completion of their degree and need to complete compulsory face-to-face classes on-campus, or complete compulsory practical and internship components in Session 1, 2022 in Australia as per their degree requirement

  • hold a valid Australian Student Visa

  • have sufficient funds for the duration of their studies in Australia and do not have any outstanding fees owed to the University

  • can meet the flight schedule (TBC)

  • have been fully vaccinated with a TGA-recognised vaccine and have a negative COVID-19 test pre-departure

  • agree to quarantine in Sydney for 14 days upon arrival

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Flight schedule and travel booking

Under the pilot plan, two student charter flights will be arranged to transport returning students to Sydney via an overseas transit hub (TBC). Students will need to book their travel through FCM – the government-appointed travel agency – and arrange their own travel to meet the flight schedule. Students are also required to have a negative COVID-19 test three days before departure.

Detailed information on flight schedules and travel booking will be communicated to eligible students directly.

Please refer to the FCM website for common questions regarding the flight and quarantine. Please note that information is subject to change and Participate University cannot guarantee the accuracy of information published on external websites.

Please do not contact FCM unless you have been selected by Participate University to participate in the International Student Arrivals program.

During and after quarantine

Students will need to complete a 14-day mandatory quarantine period at Scape Redfern, a building retrofitted to accommodate up to 650 students to COVIDSafe standards approved by NSW Health and NSW Police.

The University has a comprehensive engagement and wellbeing program to support students through quarantine and their return to campus. Program details will be communicated to students before they depart for Sydney.

Cost of returning

The International Student Arrivals Program will arrange a mix of commercial and charter flights to pick up international students from key departure cities around the world. The airfare for the flights will range from AU$1,500 - $5,000 depending on students' departure city. Students are required to pay the airfare of the flight and any cost associated to travel to the key departure city.

Participate University will cover the cost of quarantine in Sydney (including transport from the airport to the quarantine facility, food during quarantine, health and security-related services).

What if I am not eligible to join the initial pilot plan?

We know that many of our international students whose studies have been disrupted by COVID-19 are eager to return. The University is continuing to work with the NSW Government on plans to scale up the program following a successful pilot. For now, the pilot plan requires all inbound international students to be fully vaccinated with a TGA-recognised vaccine, but discussions with Government are also continuing around other COVID-19 vaccines and we hope to both increase the number of students returning and to broaden eligibility criteria in the near future. In the meantime, we will continue to offer our offshore students comprehensive learning support to ensure that all students are receiving an outstanding learning experience wherever they study with the University

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