Is Australian Border Closed for Study Abroad
Students in Pakistan have been seeking opportunities to move to foreign countries for decades. The most prominent and easiest route has always been to apply for a bachelor’s or master’s program in a western country such as the United Kingdom, Australia, and America, etc. These routes not only ease the restrictions and requirements to move to a foreign country but also enable the students to pursue education and groom themselves in a developed country.
In the late nineties, the most prime location for Pakistani students to get higher education was the United States of America and the United Kingdom. But, in the late 2000s, this trend changed and students started focusing on Australia as their desired destination for a graduate degree. There were many reasons for choosing Australia but the most prominent was their high quality of education and a quick way to get Australian immigration after completing their desired degree.
Australia is a massive country that provides countless opportunities for students interested in a settlement after graduation. Furthermore, Australia also promotes skilled immigration just to attract different talents from all around the world. Six Australian universities have made it to the top hundred rankings by competing with thousands of universities globally. Apart from universities, seven Australian cities have earned the title of the best cities for students to achieve higher education according to the 2019 QS best student cities ranking. All these circumstances make Australia extremely favorable to pursue a bachelor’s or master’s degree.
The recent pandemic of the SAARS Covid 19 virus has shaken the world. Countries closing their borders to the international communities, airports shutting down, closure of educational institutions and many more such instances have gravely affected the global economy. Australia has faced similar issues and as a result, studying in Australia during the pandemic has been greatly affected. With the rising cases of Covid 19, not only the metropolitan Australian cities but villages as well as towns, a common question arose among prospective students seeking admission in Australian universities i.e., are Australian borders closed or opened during the pandemic, or is it safe to take admission in Australian universities.
Australian borders were closed in March 2020 for students, tourists, and other foreign nationals. Only Australian nationals and permanent residents of Australia were allowed to enter the country. Ever since the introduction of the government policy to close its doors to foreigners, almost a hundred thousand students are stuck outside and cannot travel to Australia.
This global pandemic has created more problems for international students studying in Australia than in any other country. It has been over five hundred days since the Australian government decided to close its borders to the international community. Students who were admitted to the university but were on a break and visiting their home country shared issues students facing in Australia during the pandemic. Most students had gotten anxiety issues and were battling depression due to the uncertainty in their future. Their higher education had hit a bump and there were no clear directions on the resumption of their education in Australia. Students had spent a huge amount of money and invested in their future by choosing Australia as their desired destination for bachelor’s or master’s program.
The Australian government has recently shared the information that they are considering easing their border restrictions for international students in 2022. This would be great news for those who are currently considering Australia for higher education. Too many lives have been lost and hundreds of thousands have lost their jobs and filed for bankruptcy. Hopefully, the pandemic would come to an end and our lives would get back to as they were pre Covid.