A third of the 106,000 Chinese students initially trapped offshore by the coronavirus travel ban have made their way to Australia after waiting out their 14-day isolation periods in third countries.

Since mid-February, 31,196 Chinese students have landed in Australia, Department of Home Affairs figures show. In recent weeks, up to 1000 students a day have been arriving to start or return to their studies.

Over 30,000 Chinese students have returned to Australia since the restrictions were introduced. Credit:Bloomberg

While the large number of students arriving is encouraging for universities and other international education providers, the sector has warned tens of thousands are still missing out on their studies and providers will feel the impact.

On February 1, when the ban on non-citizens returning to Australia from China was imposed, 106,680 Chinese students were overseas, either in China or elsewhere. The vast majority were enrolled at universities, with several thousand in schools or vocational education.