New figures show 37,000 international students have returned to study in Victoria since last December.

There are now 105,600 international students in Victoria, compared to about 155,000 before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Of 129,300 student visa holders in Victoria, around 18 per cent are still offshore or studying remotely. 

Across Australia, Chinese students are by far the largest cohort of international student visa holders, with data from the federal education and skills department showing about 35 per cent of them remain overseas.

The state government has been pushing Melbourne as a study destination in the hope of restoring what has been a major industry for the state. 

The state is running a five-year education recovery plan that will see it invest in overseas ‘Study Melbourne’ hubs for offshore students to learn and socialise. Hubs have been established in Shanghai, Kuala Lumpur and Ho Chi Minh City, with pop-up locations across India, Sri Lanka and Nepal as well. 

The Victorian Government is also expanding its Global Education Network program, which sends state representatives to spruik Victoria's education sector in Colombia, Korea, Japan and Vietnam as part of a $53 million plan that includes an extension and expansion of half-price public transport passes for international students.

Trade Minister Tim Pallas says it is important to recognise hardships faced by students and the sector during the height of the pandemic.

“The whole community suffered, but perhaps more so the education sector than any other,” he said.

“It will take some years before we get to those levels of 155,000 students, but we will see a solid return starting next year.”

While COVID-19 forced many of the major universities to shift to online models, they still want students back on campus. 

“The benefits for most of our students is a face to face, physically present education,” says Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) Professor Sherman Young.

“It's been fantastic to see [returning] students engage not just with their learning, but with the social connection that we know is just as important.

“I don't want to lose sight of the fact that international education is not just about money. It really is about making the world a better place,” he said.