Total arrivals of people on international student visas in YTD May were 36 per cent of comparable 2019, the last pre-pandemic year. Arrivals from China were 15 per cent

All up there were 425 000 Jan-May pre-COVID 2019, and 151 000 this year.

India (25 610 arrivals YTD for ’22) replaces, China (just) as the top source of arriving students (24 000).

However Indian arrivals are still way down 45 per cent down on 2019.

And Nepal moves up from the fifth market in 2019 (13 600) to the third this year.

International education expert Dirk Mulder says officials suggest a recovery from the pandemic is slow but happening. Certainly Home Affairs reports a record, almost 43 000, student visa applications lodged in June. This continued in July with 10 000 applications being received a week.

All states and territories recorded big declines in arrivals, from 50 per cent in the Northern Territory to 72 per cent in WA. Of the big three, NSW arrivals to May were down 60 per cent, Victoria was down 65 per cent and Queensland 69 per cent.

Mr Mulder reported the international arrivals big-picture in CMM last week (August 9).