International student Chitra Mukherjee is desperate for Australia's borders to re-open.
She has not seen her husband in India for almost two years.
The electrical engineer arrived in Australia from New Delhi in January 2020 to study for her master's degree at the University of Adelaide.
However, when the pandemic began and the borders slammed shut, so did the prospect of her husband moving to Australia.
The federal government's decision to pause the reopening of Australia's borders to visa holders by two weeks has been devastating for the 33-year-old.
"I am more than frustrated. I am scared, because I don't want to stay away from my family anymore," she said.
"There are times when you do feel that you don't have people around you [who] know you and, when you face issues and problems, there is no one here to discuss."
Former international student from Nepal Aashish Wagley has been running an international student agency for the past 13 years.
Since the borders shut in early 2020, Mr Wagley has had to cut staff and close overseas student agency offices.
The plan to open Australia's borders to students and visa holders on December 1 gave students and the industry hope.
Now many are feeling uncertain about the new academic year in 2022.
"It was a very panicked decision which has put many people's plans, and probably livelihoods, at stake because there is still uncertainly about what will happen in two weeks," he said.
"If the students can't come in, there is no point of continuing on."
About 150,000 enrolled international students are currently stranded overseas.
According to Study Adelaide, 11,000 of those want to return to Adelaide to study.
But, Mr Wagley said, enrolments were down and students were choosing to study elsewhere.
"They are looking at other destinations. UK, Canada and [the] USA are really picking up because those destinations have not been shut," Mr Wagley said.
"Just opening the borders and saying come back is not going to work. I think we need a solid plan where we all work together for the benefit of this great state."
If the borders reopen as planned on December 15, Ms Mukherjee's husband is due to fly into Australia two days before Christmas.
It's a reunion she has dreamed of for 22 long months.
"So, have patience, carry on and that's how I stayed here."
