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  • COVID-19 – travel restrictions extended for 8 days

    15 February 2020

    This afternoon, New Zealand’s Minister of Health announced that the temporary restrictions on travel from China have been extended for a further 8 days as a precautionary measure to protect against the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus.  

    The restrictions prevent foreign nationals travelling from, or transiting through, mainland China from entering New Zealand. This position will be reviewed every 48 hours. 

    The Ministry of Education has updated the information on its website for primary and secondary schools and tertiary providers. It includes advice for tertiary students and providers interested in blended learning options. It also provides contact information for the Human Rights Commission for those who experience racial or other discrimination related to coronavirus. 

    Immigration New Zealand has announced an extension to the ‘first entry before’ date on student visas for those unable to arrive in New Zealand due to travel restrictions.   

    NZQA has advised all signatories to the Pastoral Care of International Students Code of Practice of today’s decision. 

    ENZ continues to provide information and guidance to students and stakeholders. We will keep you updated as more information becomes available.

  • From the CE: An update on our response to COVID-19

    COVID-19 continues to be a major focus for us, as it is for you.

    The World Health Organisation declared COVID-19 a pandemic on 12 March. As Director-General of Health, Dr Ashley Bloomfield says, we have been planning for and acting as if COVID-19 was a pandemic since the beginning of the outbreak.

    The New Zealand Government’s number one priority is the health of people in New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. International students are a valued part of New Zealand’s education system and of our community. New Zealand provides quality education to many thousands of international students each year, and we want that to continue.

    The health and well-being of our international students is of uppermost importance – both the students whose travel to New Zealand has been delayed and those who are currently here, far from home, during a period of uncertainty. We are all working together to ensure they have the care, support and information they need.

    The international situation around COVID-19 continues to evolve and the international education sector is working in an environment of rapid change and a lot of uncertainty, as things develop on a daily basis.

    We are working with providers and agencies across government to map out the way forward. In the short-term, we wanted to give you an idea of some of the immediate steps that ENZ has in train. These include: 

    • Ongoing monitoring of global responses and flow-on impacts for the international education sector – which we will share with providers
    • Tailored communication to and support of agents around the globe through AgentLab (March)
    • Market intelligence soundings (ongoing)
    • Testing market sentiment in China and other affected countries (March)
    • Enhancing our content on WeChat (March)
    • Continuing to develop NauMai NZ as a platform to get information to international students (March)
    • Taking our regular pulse check of the health of the brand globally (from April)
    • Exploring online delivery of ENZ events globally (March/April).

    We are very keen to work collaboratively with the sector. We look forward to the discussion with provider representatives at the peak bodies’ forum on 18 March.

    We are continuing to update ENZ’s COVID-19 webpage to provide links to the latest information for students and their families, agents and sector peak bodies.

    Impacts on our work

    Because of the COVID-19 outbreak and travel restrictions, ENZ has cancelled or postponed a range of events and initiatives. Our offshore activities in particular have been impacted by the responses of host countries to COVID-19. We will continue to communicate these developments directly to affected New Zealand industry and other stakeholders. 

    In addition, we have postponed the applications for the Prime Minister’s Scholarship for Asia (the Prime Minister’s Scholarships for Latin America are unaffected). We cannot support scholars to travel to the Asian region at this time. We will review the situation later in the year. Please check our webpage for further updates.

    Similarly, ICEF Australia New Zealand (ANZA) has been postponed to 3-5 August 2020;  APAIE 2020 (Asia Pacific Association for International Education) has been postponed until March next year; and the IALC 2020 Auckland Workshop (26-29 March) has been cancelled. Other postponements and cancellations continued to be advised and we expect this trend to continue.

    Other measures 

    • Offshore or blended delivery
      • We have been asked about alternative delivery for students not yet able to enter New Zealand.
      • NZQA has advised it is enabling non-university tertiary education providers to temporarily support students who are affected by COVID-19 travel restrictions through online/blended learning options.
      • If you have a programme that is approved for online/blended delivery, please contact NZQA on 0800 697 296 for more information.
      • This temporary approval does not apply to training schemes
    • 3% surplus not required this year

    Student eligibility for health care

    Also in response to sector questions, the National Health Coordination Centre, which is part of the Ministry of Health, has confirmed that “people who have or who are suspected of having an infectious and/or quarantinable disease are eligible for publicly funded health services to address the risks to other people.” Further information is available on the Ministry’s website.

    Further information

    Here in New Zealand, the Ministry of Health is the key source of information on current entry restrictions and advice for people travelling to New Zealand, self-isolation and prevention measures. The Government has extended entry restrictions and entry requirements into New Zealand as a precautionary measure to protect against the spread of COVID-19.

    Other key sources of information on COVID-19 are the: Ministry of Education and Immigration New Zealand, as well as ENZ’s webpage for students, agents and peak bodies.

  • Keeping international students at the forefront of the RoVE conversation

    ENZ has an important role in the implementation of the NZIST. We are tasked with ensuring the international education voice is heard and considered; supporting the vocational education sector during the transition; and helping shape the long-term plan for the NZIST international offering.

    ENZ recently hosted a communications workshop with government agencies, the IST Establishment Unit and RoVE communications professionals to discuss the potential impact the vocational education reforms may have on international students and the international education sector.

    The outcomes of the workshop included an international education focused communications approach that will consist of articles for overseas media, tailored updates for agents and students, and supporting brochures and factsheets. These will ensure international students and their support networks, which includes agents, family members and international office staff, receive relevant, timely information on the transition to the NZIST and feel confident that they know what it means for them and that New Zealand remains the best place for them to study.

    ENZ’s Kaylee Butters is currently on secondment to the role of Director, IST Implementation. This role is focused on developing a comprehensive marketing programme to support the vocational education sector during the transition to NZIST, and helping shape the long-term brand positioning of the institute internationally.

    “ENZ is excited by the opportunity to support the sector and the NZIST in these crucial stages of development,” Kaylee says. “We see this as an incredible chance to market New Zealand’s vocational education offering internationally under a strong, unified national brand.”

    The short-term plan will leverage ENZ’s existing channels and platforms to communicate a clear and confident message to prospective international students, agents and partners. The goal is to continue to attract high-calibre learners to the ITP sector with key messaging and content that aligns with ENZ’s Think New brand.

    Long-term, ENZ has an opportunity to work with the NZIST and other Government agencies to design a customised and competitive ‘package’ for international students.

    To assist with the day one requirements of the NZIST, ENZ is also supporting the development of the institute's new website. ENZ has developed a student-facing digital ecosystem with award-winning digital marketing capability, business intelligence and Government-level security. ENZ is able to leverage crown investment by using www.studyinnewzealand.govt.nz as a foundation to build a new digital platform tailored to the ITP and ITO sector. We can also support the sector by sharing our learning to ensure the best possible user experience and customer journey for all international and domestic students.

  • An update from ENZ's Events team

    Many of you are working closely with our international teams on in-market initiatives and programmes of work. The following update refers to the events as listed on the events calendar on our corporate website and does not include additional in-market activity.

    If you’ve confirmed to attend any of the upcoming ENZ calendar events for the second half of this year, the team will be in touch as soon as they can to update you on how the event will proceed.

    Events framework

    We are developing an events framework that will initially support events planned until the end of 2020 and look at alternative ways we can deliver events and fairs in New Zealand and overseas. This framework is in response to the current situation and the need to adjust how we do events over the next 12-18 months.

    We are aware delivering events virtually is a high priority, but we also understand that not every event will translate well to virtual delivery, and each market has its own challenges requiring a bespoke approach. The framework will consider each countries’ restrictions. It will also look at the viability of events taking place virtually or whether a hybrid approach could be used and be more effective.

    Virtual events platform

    To assist us in making the right decisions in event delivery, we are undertaking an initial scoping exercise of digital platforms that facilitates the delivery of events, fairs, and conferences online. 

    Our goal is to ensure our education industry has access to ‘best-in-class’ digital events options that align with our student audience needs. In order to align with your recruitment goals we will consult with industry partners to better understand what your requirements are for digital events, and whether an integrated ENZ platform could strengthen our ability to recruit students to New Zealand.

    Attendance at virtual fairs

    We are all receiving invitations to virtual fairs and we are assessing which events we will attend as it is essential New Zealand remains visible during this period. To help inform these decisions, the events team would welcome information on the events you will be participating in through to the end of 2020. Please email them at events@enz.govt.nz with this information, or if you have any further queries.

  • What’s next for ENZ events?

    The trial of the EventsAIR OnAIR platform began in September with the Japan New Zealand Education Virtual Showcase and Agent Seminar, and will continue over the next few months for events like agent seminars in-market, the Viet Nam Student Showcase, and the Summer Retention Showcase.

    Over and above a video-conferencing application like Zoom, the EventsAIR OnAIR platform has functions like a virtual exhibition, live Q & A, and gamification features, where users can compete to win points.

    ENZ recently hosted our inaugural India New Zealand Education Week on the EventsAIR OnAIR platform. To have a look at the platform and how it works, you can register and view recordings of the event here.

    ENZ has an established relationship with EventsAIR, having previously partnered with them for lead capture at in-person events.

    ENZ Director – Channel Services and Partnerships, Dan Smidt, says what really clinched this new collaboration was the wide range of functionality EventsAIR had developed.

    “We didn’t want a platform that would simply recreate what you’d expect from an in-person event. We wanted something that would use digital features in a creative way, to really capture the attention and imagination of our attendees.”

    Participants are currently limited to providers who registered with ENZ for in-person events in-market before they were cancelled due to COVID-19. At the moment, ENZ is able to offer participation in these events at no cost to the sector.

    “In the results of a survey out to New Zealand providers earlier this year, the cost of developing or participating in digital events was one of the most important factors for those considering their event options,” Dan says.

    Even before COVID-19 caused global travel disruption and the widespread cancellation of in-person events, ENZ was looking into ways to host more events virtually.

    “We know that education providers and students are becoming more conscious of the sustainability of long-haul air travel,” Dan says. “COVID-19 simply accelerated our work in the online event space.”

    “This dynamic virtual events platform is the next logical step in the growth of the ENZ digital eco-system. We’re now able to think about how we do events in a whole new way.”

    Dan and the ENZ Events Team hope to develop a virtual and hybrid calendar of events for 2021 with OnAIR. Please watch out for more updates on our events work in E-News on our website.

  • New initiatives to keep New Zealand education dream alive in Viet Nam

    Earlier this year, ENZ asked study providers how we can support the visibility of New Zealand schools who usually operate in the Vietnamese market.

    Two proposals have now been selected.

    The first will fund Year 10 students from five Manawatū schools to undertake a customised version of AFS’ Global Competence Certificate (GCC).

    AFS is partnering with Massey University to facilitate the programme and each New Zealand school will partner with a Vietnamese school from TTC Education, ENZ’s private school network partner with over 18,000 students.

    Students from both countries will join weekly virtual workshops facilitated by Massey University – in the last four weeks of New Zealand’s school year – focused on developing the students’ lifelong global ‘power skills’ and providing them with an opportunity to interact and connect directly with their overseas student counterparts.

    CEDA and Palmerston North City Council will offer scholarships for up to 25 Manawatū students to participate in the Vietnam GCC, while ENZ will fund the same number of students to participate in Viet Nam.

    The second initiative will support the development and implementation of a digital marketing strategy for 14 New Zealand schools. This initiative, which is being delivered by Lightpath Consulting Group, will include dedicated in-market representation, market advice, agent engagement support and a customised Vietnamese website.

    The activities will help build a strong, in-market sector presence while borders are closed. They will enable the schools and ENZ to engage through tailored digital marketing programmes to boost the reputation of New Zealand schools with Vietnamese audiences.

    Viet Nam is an important market for New Zealand schools. In 2018, it was one of our only source markets to record student growth on the year before, with 39 percent more Vietnamese students choosing to study here.

    “Education New Zealand remains committed to supporting New Zealand schools’ activity in Viet Nam and given the current challenges presented by COVID-19, we believe that supporting in-market representation models will maintain visibility in a market which has demonstrated continued growth for the sector,” ENZ Regional Director – Asia, John Laxon, says.

  • Allocation priorities for student visa applications

    Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has changed the way they allocate international student visa applications from students in New Zealand, so they have more flexibility and can process these applications more efficiently during the summer processing peak.  

    INZ’s allocation priorities change from time to time to reflect current demands and will be posted on their website. You can view these allocation priorities here.  

    Tuition fee receipt reminder 

    When a student is in New Zealand (onshore) and submits an application for a student visa, it is a requirement to provide a tuition fee receipt with the application at the time of submission. 

    The approval in principle process is not available for students who are in New Zealand. Any onshore application should include evidence a student: 

    - has paid their tuition fees in full for one year or one programme (whichever is shorter); or 

    - that they are exempt from paying tuition fees and their education provider has confirmed this. 

    If the receipt is not provided with the application, then it has an impact on the processing and the application takes longer to be processed. For more information, you can find INZ's Student visa application information sheet for continuing international students here. 

    International education data  

    Every year, INZ publish data on the offshore student visa approval rates and application volumes for education agents by market. They also publish the overseas student visa application decision data broken down by country. 

    Updated data for 2024 has now been published: View this data here 

  • Prime Minister's Scholarships for Asia help students from New Zealand and India to showcase a unique cross-cultural collaboration

    The students travelled to India and for five weeks, worked with local students from Indian fashion powerhouse Pearl Academy and artisans from Kala Raksha, an NGO in Kutch, Western India. Collectively they produced a collection of garments, which reflected a philosophy from the past to everyday life. The work helped students and artisans to develop an understanding of different cultural values and ability to think creatively and collaboratively. 

     “We are thrilled to have 15 Prime Minister’s Scholarship recipients from Whitecliffe College visit India and take this opportunity to collaborate with Pearl Academy students in fashion and sustainability.” said David Pine, New Zealand High Commissioner to India. 

    “New Zealand and India hold strong education ties and the Prime Minister’s Scholarship for Asia symbolises the New Zealand government’s commitment to further strengthen bilateral ties between both countries.” 

     Administered by Education New Zealand | Manapou ki te Ao, the Prime Minister's Scholarships for Asia is a unique scholarship programme that enables the rich exchange of language, culture, skills and opportunities. It not only highlights New Zealand government’s commitment to help grow strong connections between young New Zealanders and Indians but fosters global citizens by inspiring students to take action on pressing issues affecting the world.  

     Since 2013, the Prime Minister’s Scholarship for Asia and Latin America have enabled more than 2,400 New Zealanders to broaden their horizons through life-changing learning experiences in Asia and Latin America. Applications are open until 23 April for the 2023 group scholarship round. To find out more about the Prime Minister's Scholarships for Asia and Latin America, visit our website here. 

  • Summer in NZ

    The student retention workstream, a key focus of the Government’s Recovery Plan for international education, has delivered new resources, partnerships and online activity to support international students (and providers) over summer.

    Alongside the Summer in NZ initiative, ENZ has been facilitating Instagram Live sessions on social media focused on the themes of wellbeing, employability, skill development and keeping students connected with one-another. For the schedule, visit the Summer in NZ page on the ENZ website, and watch on the StudyinNewZealand Instagram account (@studyinnewzealand). Further sessions will continue over summer.

    A Tencent livestream with the theme of how to spend your summer in New Zealand was hosted by students on the NauMai NZ WeChat mini programme. Another two upcoming livestreams in the new year will feature how Chinese students are spending their summer and celebrating Chinese New Year in New Zealand.

    ENZ has also partnered with LinkedIn and secured a number of LinkedIn Learning licences. We are now offering these to international students, via providers, free of charge to use over the summer period. This platform is used by education providers across the world to complement their existing courses.

    ENZ has also been working with AFS New Zealand to deliver the Global Competence Certificate. The first course facilitated by Massey University began at the end of November. The next course begins 1 March – find out more and sign up here: https://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/about-massey/events/afs-nz-global-competence-certificate/afs-nz-global-competence-certificate_home.cfm

    New NauMai NZ pages, developed in conjunction with providers and regional networks, have been added to NauMai NZ (under Summer in NZ), providing advice and information on activities and opportunities to engage and connect students over summer. Students whose programmes are finishing this year are also being encouraged to consider further programmes of study in New Zealand.

    The Your Great Kiwi Summer Fair was held at the end of October. The audience was highly engaged, with initial feedback reporting that the fair was a useful source of information. Feedback will help inform future events with international students in New Zealand.

    Since the fair, Northland Inc and Study Auckland have launched BeKiwi, a one-stop digital platform for international students looking for travel and volunteering experiences in the Northland and Auckland regions.

    We understand this summer will be a very different one for many international students. We thank you for your support and encourage you to continuing sharing this information and these resources with them, as we stand together with our international students to make the most of their time here.

  • Immigration New Zealand email error

    Due to an administrative error, some partners and dependents of international students with work rights may have received an email from INZ on 23 December 2020 that incorrectly stated their visas may have been eligible for a six month extension. Student visas have not been extended.

    Those who received the email incorrectly will need to apply for a further visa or arrange to depart New Zealand before their current visa expires. Further information on applying for visas is available on the Immigration New Zealand website or an immigration professional can help.

    We acknowledge this is a stressful process for students and their families.

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