The Federal Government is trying new measures to get foreign students back to Australia.

Earlier this year, the ACT and federal governments announced a pilot program to get 350 continuing international students back to Canberra.

However, this scheme was delayed after Melbourne’s COVID-19 cases grew too high for comfort.

A new pilot has been announced in recent weeks, which aimed to get up to 300 students to return to South Australia this month.

But so far, none have arrived.

Education Minister Dan Tehan cannot say when the program will start.

“Obviously there was an announcement that South Australia was keen to start on that pilot, but we've also made it very clear in discussions we've had that we've got to sort out those internal border issues and issues regarding returning Australians, but we'll continue to work through the issues,” Mr Tehan told the ABC.

The South Australian Government says “final logistics” are “being worked through”. Reports say the authorities are yet to decide which countries the students will come from.

The states all have caps on international arrivals, leaving thousands of Australian citizens struggling to return home.

Mr Tehan says state premiers will not let international students take the place of Australians returning from overseas.