The Minister launches the final version of the International Education Strategy 2022-30, which includes a limit on student stays.
Chris Hipkins, education minister, stated that New Zealand does not plan to change the recently established immigration rules that restrict international students' stay in the country.
Hipkins addressed the New Zealand International Education Conference (16 August) and stated that international education requires a "social license" from the population.
He said that international education was not "primarily intended to be a route to New Zealand migration". We had to consider other questions about the immigration rebalance.
Students' rights after they had completed their studies were restricted to reflect the amount of time they had spent onshore. This excludes offshore studies. Conference attendees quizzed Hipkins about the policy. He said it would be maintained, with exceptions in "workforce shortages" areas.
Hipkins also launched New Zealand's final version of the International Education Strategy to 2030. Hipkins stated that the first stage of the strategy would be to rebuild the traditional market. However, the second stage would see the development of offshore products and more diverse products. One of our most important tasks... is to ensure that we draw from various markets.
He said New Zealand's reputation as a safe country to study and live in is the most critical factor for students considering New Zealand.
Hipkins stated that the government would soon publish data about wait times for student visas. In addition, education in New Zealand has been asked to provide data on the impact of the "rebalance" in immigration on student visas.
Minister promised to continue formal and informal consultations with the education sector regarding international education. This includes previously excluded stakeholders, such as educational technology providers, educational publishers, and other educational publishing companies.
Another session saw an Immigration New Zealand official warn prospective students not to submit applications for study in 2023 while the agency prioritized 2022 students. However, in the first week following the reopening of the border on 31 July, more than 1,600 applications were received, with nearly two-thirds coming from China.
