Melbourne Council is discussing measures to bring international students back to the city in time for the 2022 school year.
There are 88,203 international students in Victoria, right now, which is a 42 per cent decrease from March 2020. In 2019 there were more than 150,000 international students from 170 countries living in Melbourne.
“International students contribute to Melbourne’s exciting, vibrant and inclusive culture,” says Melbourne lord mayor Sally Capp. “[They are] employees, business owners, volunteers, neighbours and friends.”
Capp adds that international students contributed $13.7 billion a year to Victoria’s economy and supported nearly 80,000 jobs.
“All levels of government should be working together with the sector to reboot international education and planning for a substantial return of students by the start of 2022 or as soon as Australia reopens its borders,” says Capp.
Melbourne Council has endorsed measures to make Melbourne an attractive destination for international students, such as the Experience Melbourne program, and it has requested the federal government produce a national plan to bring back international students through the Council of Capital City Lord Mayors.
Councillors also plan to collaborate with international education stakeholders to request that the federal government offer support in planning for the safe return of students in time for the 2022 academic year. You can read the full plan here.