The Australian government will allow a “limited” number of Chinese high school students into Australia in an easing of the country’s COVID-19 travel ban. 

The government is under increasing pressure to exempt Chinese students from travel bans sparked by the coronavirus after it confirmed a travel ban on foreign nationals coming from China would continue for a further eight days.

Agents are preparing for “a decline in students going abroad this year” due to the coronavirus epidemic, according to a survey by the Beijing Overseas Study Service Association.

The Study in Australia website has launched a resource hub to provide the sector with a central location to access information regarding major events such as the novel coronavirus.

Australia is bracing for more disruption with an extension of the travel ban from mainland China announced – and concerns are also surfacing about visa applications in the pipeline, according to Phil Honeywood.

The case of a US host family who stepped in to help accommodate a new student arrival from Wuhan, China is a welcome story to emerge amid wider anecdotal reports of rising anxiety among Asian students.

Institutions heavily reliant on Chinese student fee income are grappling with how to deliver an education to students who cannot travel as expected, while also aware that future recruitment plans could be in jeopardy.

Education regulators in Australia have relaxed rules for Chinese students unable to arrive due to a temporary travel ban. A new taskforce is working cross-sectorally to consider the country's response and online study is one suggested short-term solution.