Australian government announced that it will begin significantly relaxing bans on foreigners entering the country, prioritising certain groups.
Fully vaccinated skilled migrants and international students, as well as Japan and South Korean citizens, will be among those allowed entry from 1 December.
They must return a negative Covid test in the three days before arriving, and fully vaccinated South Koreans and Japanese who hold a valid visa will also be able to enter without undergoing quarantine.
Comments by British Council:
With borders opening up, we can anticipate a more aggressive and direct approach from the Australians to key markets in East Asia – specifically China and South East Asia where they traditionally have a strong hold. Continuous marketing campaign to boost UK market positioning, frequent engagement and fast response time from UK institutions would be needed to ensure that the UK remains front and centre as students from the region finalise their decisions for the 2022 intake.
Besides, UK institutions should invest in their agents as strong relationships are essential now and after COVID-19, especially international student recruitment related travel is unlikely to resume, at least in the short term. This emphasises the importance of trusted and knowledgeable local partners with a strong track record,in order to remain competitive among other study destinations.