Hopes are high for 2022. Since December 2021, 56,000 international students have returned to Australia and another 50,000 have applied for new student visas. The international education sector was worth over $40 billion before the pandemic, but this figure dropped to just over $22 billion last year. The tight border rules in Australia have raised concerns some students are putting off returning, but Universities Australia Chief Executive Catriona Jackson says it's too early to tell.