Australian universities are actively lobbying the government to exempt foreign students from entry bans. As cabinet ministers prepare to set up a special group to assess the economic impact of the extension of the entry ban, the Morrison government has rejected lobbying by the 38 billion university industry seeking an exemption of 100,000 international students from entering Australia.
Trade Minister Birmingham and Education Minister Dan Tehan updated the state, university, high school, student accommodation agencies and state education ministers last night, after Health Minister Grep Hunt confirmed that there are no plans to lift the entry ban on China this weekend. The university has been hit by three new coronaviruses in the past two weeks.
The Chinese government announced that it would delay the English proficiency test, delays in visa processing due to embassy staff working from home, and the Morrison government imposed a 14-day entry ban on non-Australian residents from China when the ban was extended this weekend. Enter the first week of the new semester. “We don’t want to leave an unrealistic expectation that the entry ban may be lifted,” Hunt said. “The government’s first principle is to protect Australians.”
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/universities-lobbied-strongly-for-travel-ban-exemption-for-students-20200211-p53zqc.html
