Brisbane, Oct 26 (TIWN) Australia's Queensland state said on Tuesday that it plans to welcome international students from 2022 and a relevant plan has been sent to the federal government.

Students studying in the medical or allied health fields would be prioritised.

"While remote learning has made it possible for students to continue Queensland university studies from their home countries, we recognize it isn't a sustainable, long-term substitute for face-to-face tutorials and practical experience," the state's Tourism, Innovation and Sport Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said.

He added that the plan is the first phase of scaling up from semester one and will see more students return to Queensland over time.

The decision is also viewed as a lifeline for the state's universities.

Before the pandemic, Queensland's international education sector was worth an estimated A$5.8 billion ($4.35 billion).