New Zealand's Borders are Officially Reopened to Welcome Back International Students

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Cyril Zachariah
Updated on May 30, 2022 12:18 PM IST

As New Zealand's borders reopen following Covid-19, an influx of returning overseas students will be a welcome boost for Manawatu's education sector. Several educational institutions in New Zealand are anticipating the arrival of international students who have been studying online or who have been waiting for the country's borders to reopen.

International Students are Welcome to Return to Tertiary Institutions in New Zealand

Latest Update (May 30, 2022)-When the Covid-19 pandemic hit and borders were restricted, international student numbers at Palmerston North's higher institutions Massey University, UCOL, and IPU New Zealand plummeted, so the prospect of students returning has been a source of comfort.

The government of New Zealand has declared earlier that starting in mid-2022, up to 5000 international students will be allowed to enter the country due to a border class exception. The government then stated earlier this month that the borders would be fully reopened on July 31 and that students could apply to enter New Zealand.

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International students had been permitted to study online without a New Zealand student visa, so they are studying part-time, as per a Massey spokesperson, but once borders opened and they arrived in New Zealand, they are required to be full-time.

850 students were allocated to private training institutions, including IPU New Zealand in Palmerston North.

According to IPU spokesman Wayne Cooper, the university was given 32 students, which was less than expected, but it allowed students to make actual travel plans.

IPU had devised a strategy to relieve the pressure, including a scheme that allows students to begin their studies online and complete them in New Zealand. It had also collaborated with agents to keep IPU on the minds of students.

Te Pukenga, the national polytechnic organisation, was allocated 700 students, including UCOL in Palmerston North.

Jasmine Groves, UCOL's executive director of business and industry partnerships, said the college has submitted a list of students for consideration.

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She said UCOL, which had 118 international students the year before, had kept an eye on the worldwide market since the start of Covid-19 and altered its strategy accordingly.

Chris Whelan, the chief executive of Universities New Zealand, previously stated that students might expect to be in New Zealand for the start of the 2023 academic year, and in some circumstances by the end of 2022.

In 2021, international university student enrolment was at 72% of pre-Covid levels, but by 2022, it had dropped to around 30%.

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Source: Stuff


Latest Update: 4th Feb 2022

Welcomed as a positive step, the 5-step border opening plan set by New Zealand is set to resume the normal student visa processing starting October this year. According to the plan, under a border exception class, 5,000 international students are expected to be permitted to enter New Zealand in April.

Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao, the move back to usual visa processing will help students pursue higher education in the country from 2023.

Chris Hipkins, COVID-19 Response Minister stated that New Zealand will become one the most vaccinated and boosted countries in the world as the borders start to reopen. He also added that the COVID-19 Protection Framework will be well-established in helping to manage COVID-19 outbreaks.

According to news reports, New Zealanders travelling from Australia will be the first to enter starting 27th February, followed by nationals from other countries starting 13th March. The third step in the process includes 5,000 places reserved for international students travelling to New Zealand starting 12th April.

Grant McPherson, ENZ Chief Executive, stated that New Zealand will be able to open its borders progressively throughout 2022, first for the existing cohorts, subsequently allowing a larger international student cohort to enter before the second semester. Throughout, 2020 and 2021, the government took initiatives to bring in a few international students under border exception classes.

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Citing it as a much-needed certainty, both for universities and the prospective international students, Universities New Zealand also sided with the move, stating that international students patiently waiting offshore have now received their answer.

Chris Whelan, Universities New Zealand Chief Executive, while expressing his relief on the announcement acknowledged that while some international students would be able to attend their second semester in New Zealand, the number is still a small fraction of the actual number waiting to enter the country.

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ENZs McPherson continued that announcement provides an opportunity to rebuild and reshape the sector and tackle the challenges as they come. However, while other top study-abroad destinations like the US, Canada and the United Kingdomcontinue to keep their borders open, as of date, New Zealand will have to wait till late this year. This further puts New Zealand one more year behind its competitors, Whelan pointed out.

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Source: The Pie News

Jan 24th, 2022

After months of restricting international students from entering the country since the pandemic, the government of New Zealand has announced granting permission to 1,000 select international students to arrive starting from the middle of 2022.

As per media reports, the border class exception will be allowing 400 pilot trainees, 300 degree-level and above students, and 300 sub-degree level students to enter the countries. The universities and education providers will be nominating students, starting October this year.

The plan aims to allow selected students to begin their visa processes in January 2022, where the first cohort of students will enter New Zealand from March. However, these selected students will be asked to satisfy certain criteria before entering the country.

The plan calls for the selected returning students to be fully vaccinated by one of the three currently-approved vaccinations in New Zealand. The three include Pfizer/BioNTech, Janssen and Oxford AstraZeneca. Nonetheless, New Zealand will also be accepting 23 vaccines that have been approved by countries abroad, including those approved by the Indian and Chinese governments as well.

In a statement released by Brett Berquist, the University of Aucklands Director International stated that the university will be working with the government to develop a process to nominate students and will, further, connect with the eligible students. Berquist also pointed out that the selected international students will be entering NZ through the MIQ system, i.e. Managed Isolation and Quarantine.

Previously, an exception class of 1,000 international tertiary students were allowed to enter, while before that, 250 PhD and Masters students. The University of Canterbury in Christchurch hosted 34 returning international students in August.

On October 22, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced a new traffic light system designed to manage outbreaks and cases while also making use of the vaccine certificates.

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Displaying their satisfaction with the decision, a spokesperson for Education New Zealand, commented that the move will allow a connection with international students and markets, providing a pipeline for local providers while also highlighting the governments commitment to the international education sector.

They further added that the move has been made as part of the NZ governments Recovery Plan, therefore, students arriving in the country will be required to stick to all COVID-19 health and safety requirements.

Also Read: Post-Pandemic Peer Support Needed for Intl Students in Australia and NZ, Says IEAA

Education New Zealand further commented that while expectations are to see a positive response, it is still too early to speculate the outcome. They urged the students to reach out to their preferred education provider or agent as soon as possible.

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They added that the students will be assisted through all the processes by their providers. As per current travel rules, students must complete the necessary immigration processes such as applying for a student visa before being able to start their studies in the countries.

Stay tuned for the latest news and updates!

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