Australia on Monday said it will allow fully-vaccinated foreign visa holders to enter the country from December, Reuters reported.

The rule will apply to students and skilled workers, as well as vaccinated tourists from Japan and Korea. However, tourists from other countries will not be allowed to enter the country yet.

“The return of skilled workers and students to Australia is a major milestone in our pathway back,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters in Canberra.

Australia had shut its international border in May 2020 and allowed only limited numbers of citizens and permanent residents to enter the country to curb the spread of coronavirus.

Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews on Monday said she expected about two lakh visa holders to arrive in Australia, The Guardian reported. She said they will be quarantined as per the rules set by every state.

According to the government data, 2.35 lakh eligible visa holders, including 1.6 lakh students, will be able to travel to Australia from December 1, Reuters reported. International students contribute about Rs 18.60 lakh crore to Australia’s economy.

Jennifer Westacott, chief executive of Australia’s Business Council, said that the opening of borders will also help entrepreneurs.

“This will be critical relief for businesses who are struggling to find workers just to keep their doors open and for those who need highly specialised skills to unlock big projects,” she said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that the opening of international borders would allow Australia to take full advantage of the economic recovery and that workers were “desperately needed” across the country, The Guardian reported.

Since the beginning of the pandemic in January 2020, Australia has registered approximately 2 lakh cases and 1,948 deaths, Reuters reported. On Monday, most new cases were recorded in Victoria and New South Wales states.