The plight of Indian students stuck in Australia erodes its popularity as an education destination

Aditya Malik, a final year undergrad student at Australia’s Monash University in Melbourne, does not know when he can visit his parents in Dehradun next. Studying in Australia since February 2015, he has been stuck in Melbourne since the pandemic struck. Malik is one among the thousands of Indian students who have remained in Australia, unable to travel home. The Australian government has, so far, not allowed international students or their families, to travel to Australia since the pandemic, not even if the students have a visa. Even as these travel restrictions are a serious set-back for Indian students, Australia is losing its attraction as a major destination for Indian students.
“Students are still able to enrol with an Australian education provider, be granted a student visa offshore and commence or continue their studies online. Restrictions on travel to Australia remain in place for students, with limited exemptions,” a spokesperson for the Australian High Commission told TIMESOFINDIA.com. He added that it was difficult to give a clear timeline for when international students could return to Australia in significant numbers. “This will depend on health advice, the rollout of vaccines and other factors the government will need to consider to ensure the safety of the community. The federal government is working with states and territories to continue planning for broader student arrivals, when conditions allow,” the spokesperson said.
According to a study done by the University of Technology Sydney, approximately 5,65,000 students stayed on in Australia during the lockdown and 61% of the sample batch of international students stated that they had lost their jobs due to the pandemic. This has led to an increase in the number of students who are now facing challenges in paying rent and even skipping meals due to their budgetary constraints. Although universities and the government in Australia have stepped in, it remains a serious concern and is triggering a demand for reduced fees. Considering the billions of dollars that the Australian education sector earns from Indian students, most experts and educationists feel that the government should ease travel rules and reopen its borders at the earliest.

Last year, when universities were shut down, and classes went online, the Indian student community was paralyzed. Matters have improved slightly since, with campuses opening partially with government guidelines in place. Many Indian students who started studying in Australia in February 2020, left for home just before the lockdown and continued studying online. But this was not an option for Malik. “Those who are nearing the end of their degrees and hope to seek employment after graduation could not have gone back,” he says.
For Malik, being in lockdown with his Australian housemates last year, was a challenge initially. “We all struggled with the lockdown, but fortunately, our friendship stood the test,” Malik says. He misses home, and not being able to meet up with his close friends from India have made matters worse. “I yearn for time with friends with similar cultural and ethnic backgrounds,” he says.
Australia has been one of the top destinations for Indian students going abroad. In 2018-19, there were 107,673 Indian students pursuing higher education with a 39% jump in enrolments from India in 2019, according to the Australian High Commission. However, over the past six months, the country has started losing its attraction. “The fact that the country had managed the pandemic well means nothing to the Indian students who are now preferring countries that are open and accepting international student arrivals,” says Ravi Lochan Singh, managing director of educational consultancy Global Reach.
A survey carried out by the Association of Australian Education Representatives in India in August 2020, indicated that while less than 10% of the Indian students were keen to study online and there were deferments at the time, the majority of students were still not cancelling their study plans in Australia. “Student visas for Australia started being approved and granted since August last year and by now there are around 10,000 students from India with visas who are studying some subjects online. They have all started doing that in expectation of being able to return to Australia by the first intake of 2021,” says Singh.
“International students are an important part of the Australian community, and we look forward to welcoming them back to our classrooms, campuses and communities, when conditions allow. Students who are outside of Australia and yet to commence their studies in Australia can apply for a student visa and commence online studies. The Australian government is in discussions with all states and territories about continued planning for international student arrivals when conditions allow. Any future decisions will be guided by expert health advice and in alignment with all government directives,” the spokesperson from the Australian High Commission said.
Meanwhile, speculation and uncertainty prevails among students and their families. Reema Seshadri, a third-year student at Melbourne’s Deakin University, is having to cope with the stress of not being able to visit her parents in Bengaluru. “Luckily my brother is in Melbourne and, though we couldn’t meet, we spoke often. Also, doing online classes for a discipline that requires practical training has been hard for her.

For Sanika Nitin Chandarchud, an engineering master’s student at Deakin University’s Geelong campus, who is doing classes online from her home in Pune, conducting practicals have been difficult. “I need to work with other students remotely in different parts of the world on prototypes and practical lessons. These are difficult online,” she says.
What’s more, finances remain a serious concern. “Indian students doing online courses continue to pay tuition fees, while their living expenses have been waived off. However, the lack of access to an in-person study experience has triggered the popular sentiment that fees for Indian students should be further subsidised. Many of them who are stuck in Australia have lost their jobs,” says Adarsh Khandelwal, co-founder of education consultancy company, Collegify.
“For students who have stayed on in Australia and eligible for part-time work in cafes, malls, outdoor spaces, sporting venues, etc. not many jobs are available. This has resulted in a loss of basic income, which most of the student fraternity depends on,” says Ravi Veeravalli, principal consultant, Star Global Education Alliance, an education consultancy based in India and Australia.

In some cases, universities have stepped in to support international students. Deakin University, for instance, stepped up its support services and announced up to Australian $25 million in additional targeted support for international students. The Australian government has addressed visa extension without charging fees for international students already in Australia. Further, eligible candidates for the subclass 485 work visas have been given the opportunity to apply offshore. Students who undertake part of their study online from their home countries would still be eligible to apply for graduate temporary visa sub class 485.
Amit Dasgupta, strategic advisor on India, University of New South Wales, Sydney, feels that interest among Indian students in studying in Australia has not waned despite these challenges.