Search

Showing 10 of 490 results for cardguard official website

  • Strong start for Cohort 4 international students

    Already more than 3,500 international students have been nominated by their education providers and confirmed by education agencies.  More than 1,900 of these students have had their Request for Travel approved and have been invited by Immigration New Zealand to apply for their student visas, since the process opened on 13 April 2022. 

    Places remain available for students with a number of ELS and PTE providers. Only education providers can nominate students for this cohort. Interested international students or their agents should contact ELS or PTEs as soon as possible. Of the 5,000 places in this cohort, 1,000 were allocated to ELS and 850 to PTEs, with the remainder going to universities, Te Pūkenga, and secondary schools.  

    Once they have been nominated by an education provider and confirmed by education agencies, students have two weeks to make their Request for Travel through the Immigration New Zealand website. Following approval of the Request for Travel, students then have one month to complete and submit a student visa application to Immigration New Zealand, in time for a mid-year start for their studies.  

    Education providers are due to complete their nominations by 6 May 2022.  Any unused places will be transferred to other providers, which means that some providers may get additional places as part of the reallocation process. 

    This is the fourth cohort of international students to be granted a border exception to enter New Zealand and is part of the progressive reopening of our borders. All visa categories are due to reopen from October 2022 onwards, including visitor and student visas. 

    For more information on this cohort of international students, see Cohort 4 » Education NZ (enz.govt.nz)

  • From the CE: Telling the world New Zealand is open for business

    Our purpose was to promote New Zealand’s world-class education and share the message that New Zealand is open again for international students. Travelling with the Minister opened many doors for us and led to useful media coverage in all three partner countries.

    In Denver, USA, Minister Hipkins spoke at the plenary session to open NAFSA, the world’s largest international education conference. Te Pūkenga used the NAFSA event to launch its international education strategy, and ENZ launched the sector’s I AM NEW global marketing campaign. We met with senior officials to reaffirm New Zealand’s partnership commitment to the Gilman scholarships, which enable students of limited financial means to study abroad. We also met with NZ EdTech companies, including ImmerseMe, which uses virtual reality to teach languages. The company signed a 7-year partnership agreement with schools in the area during our visit.  

    The next stage of the trip was Brazil. In São Paulo we explored the possibility of English language study in New Zealand for school students with government Ministers; met with the São Paulo Research Foundation to support the growing NZ- São Paulo research engagement; and met with key education stakeholders from three São Paulo Universities: USP, UNESP and UNICAMP. 

    New Zealand is celebrating 50 years of diplomatic relations with Chile this year, and our visit to Santiago included meeting with Chile’s Minister of Science, Technology, Knowledge, and Innovation, and with Kiwi alumni. We signed two separate Education Cooperation Agreements – with Chile’s Minister of Education, and with the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities. We also visited Universidad Diego Portales, which has a long history of collaboration with NZ EdTech company, ADInstruments, whose technology has been implemented as part of the university’s educational model. 

    We were warmly received everywhere, and there was a high level of interest in New Zealand. It was great to reconnect with Kiwis offshore, and with alumni, agents and others who have a genuine interest in building relationships with New Zealand – and to be able to support their efforts in person at a wide range of events.  

    In other news, the recipients of the recent round of Prime Minister’s Scholarships to Asia and to Latin America are close to being finalised. That round of scholarships, which was solely open for group applications, will soon be followed by the opening of a second round of awards, this time focussed solely on individual applicants. Again, we will be seeking to encourage applicants from a wide range of backgrounds particularly Māori and Pasifika applicants. In anticipation of the next round, we encourage everyone to check out the alumni stories and other useful information on our scholarships website here.

    Whāia te mātauranga hei oranga mō koutou – Seek after learning for the sake of your wellbeing. 

    Grant McPherson

  • SIEBA Launches New Agency Registration Service

    SIEBA has launched its new Agency Registration Service to better support education agencies and meet the evolving needs of New Zealand schools. For an annual fee of NZD $150 plus GST, registered education agencies will gain access to services that strengthen their connections with schools and enhance their operations. 

    Benefits include: 

    • Reference Checking: Agencies listed on the SIEBA website will have undergone initial reference checks, helping schools feel confident that they align with the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 standards. 

    • Student Placement Service: Agencies can create student listings for individual and group placements, connecting directly with member schools. 

    • Tailored Resources, Webinars, and Professional Development: Agencies will have access to resources and learning opportunities to help them succeed. 

    • Networking Opportunities: Agencies will have the opportunity to expand connections with SIEBA member schools through events such as Onshore Marketing Forums. 

    John van der Zwan, Executive Director for SIEBA, acknowledged the importance of education agents to their members and this service would provide more support and connections for them.  

    "We have hundreds of members, including lots of smaller schools, who will particularly benefit from building closer relationships with agents", said John.  

    For more information on the Agency Registration Service, visit www.sieba.nz or email agents@sieba.nz. 

  • Register now for NZIEC 2022

    You can register on the NZIEC website. 

    Registration is free, sign up now and tell a colleague to register too! 

    A new format  

    We’re delivering NZIEC 2022 in a virtual format so we can reach as many international education practitioners as possible during this critical time for the industry’s rebuild. The virtual format means we have eliminated participation costs and the prospect of Covid blues for all. Join from the comfort of your favourite workstation! And while it means we won’t be able to connect in-person, we are offering a range of new ways to network and connect during conference – stay tuned for further information following registration!  

    The virtual format means we can offer a wider range of keynote speakers than in our usual two-day in-person format. We hope you’ll enjoy insights from our bumper line-up of ten keynote speakers from a range of industries and perspectives. That’s right, ten!  

    We’re also able to offer content in a more flexible manner. We’ll be delivering content in bite-sized chunks each morning and afternoon during the week (except for Friday afternoon). Don’t worry if you can’t attend a session – all sessions will be recorded and available to view later if you have registered.  

    A varied programme  

    NZIEC 2022’s theme is Towards Recovery: Reflect, Reconnect and Renew. We will be exploring this theme across the conference week; we’ll start by Reflecting on the shared experience we’ve had these past two years, before we focus on Reconnecting New Zealand and then turn to Renewal of our industry for the future.  

    The full programme will launch shortly, but here’s a taste of what we have in store:  

    • On Monday morning, join international students and practitioners as we Reflect on our collective experiences over the past two years. Hear from 2021 New Zealander of the Year, Dr Siouxsie Wiles, about her experiences through the pandemic and her advice for the future. Gain insights from our first-ever international student-led panel as they discuss their experiences during the pandemic – and their hopes and expectations for the future. And join our Board Chair, Steve Maharey, as he provides an update on ENZ’s vision and direction.  

     

    • On Monday afternoon, learn how providers across Aotearoa worked through the pandemic to enhance international student wellbeing – and what lessons this experience provides for our current offering. Pick and choose from a cornucopia of sessions that explore New Zealand’s commitment to manaakitanga, including advice from the New Zealand International Students’ Association.  

     

    • Tuesday sees us shift focus to Reconnect. Join us in the morning for an address from the Minister of Education, Hon Chris Hipkins, when he’ll provide an update on the Government’s strategy for international education. You will have an opportunity to ask questions. After the Minister’s address, get up to speed with updates from a range of New Zealand government agencies.  

     

    • On Tuesday afternoon, we continue our Reconnect focus with a keynote address from New Zealand’s leading trade negotiator, Vangelis Vitalis. He’ll speak about New Zealand’s Trade Recovery Strategy and the role of international education within that. Then take a trip ‘Around the World’ with international market insights from ENZ’s global network and sessions led by industry representatives.  

     

    • On Wednesday morning, the centrepiece of our conference week, we explore how international education relates to Te Ao Māori. Gain perspectives on traditional Māori knowledge and wisdom from our keynote speaker, Sharlene Maoate-Davis, as she explores Te Māramatanga o te Maramataka – or renewed Rongoā perspectives from traditional Māori knowledge and wisdom. Then learn how Te Tiriti is being implemented in practice across the international education sector.  

     

    • On Wednesday afternoon, we turn our attention to global citizenship. A range of industry-led sessions examine the concept and its application. Then be inspired by the journey of Abbas Nazari, who fled Afghanistan as a refugee and found himself aboard the Tampa, before gaining a new home in Aotearoa and eventually travelling to the United States on a Fulbright scholarship. Abbas’ story is a powerful tale of the importance of education – and humanity.  

     

    • And as we aim to shrug off mid-week blues, don’t miss the opportunity to find your Inner Superhero! Tapahia Heke and Pita Mei are a Superhero Dream Team who will amaze with their abilities to read – and draw – the Inner Superhero in any of us. Tune into this session if you want your superhero abilities unleashed.  

     

    • Thursday sees us in search of Renewal with the morning devoted to exploring innovation and diversification in international education. Join us in the morning as we explore the do’s and don’ts of innovation within the international education sector. Melissa Clark-Reynolds, our Renew Keynote speaker will talk about the innovation game and how to beat your organisation’s immune system.  

     

    • On Thursday afternoon, we’ll discuss the challenges and opportunities regarding sustainability and international education. Several industry practitioners will outline the approaches they have embraced to address the sustainability imperative. And René de Monchy will provide insights from the tourism industry that speaks to the challenge of rebuilding while keeping sustainability concerns front of mind.  
       
    • Finally, we ease into Friday morning with a late start and an early finish to wrap up our conference week. Grab a cuppa to join a Kōrero Kawhe with some inspiring New Zealand alumni and hear how they are making their way in the world and improving the lives of their communities. Then join clinical psychologist Nigel Latta as he shares the bare essentials for the rebuild job ahead. Finally, don’t miss our conference wrap, including an announcement as to how we’ll be celebrating 30 years of NZIEC in 2023! 

     

    Register now 

    You can register to attend NZIEC 2022 here. 

  • Does it matter if New Zealand wasn’t a student’s #1 choice? Join the Insights and Student Experience teams and find out!

    In this session, Director of Insights, Marie Clark, Insights Analyst, Dr Tom Vardy, and Student Experience Manager, Ross Crosson, will give an overview of the key findings of the survey and will also exclusively preview our deep dive into the questions on decision making and country choice.  Answering the question: Does it matter if New Zealand wasn’t an international student’s first choice? 

    In the 2024 International Student Experience Survey, students lifted their positive rating of their experience to 86 percent, two percent higher than the previous year. In addition, the number of students who rated their experience as “excellent” lifted eight percent to 41 percent. ENZ’s media release which includes links to the report and data sets can be found on our website - Rise in international students rating New Zealand experience positively.

    As many education providers are looking to take advantage of new opportunities, this webinar is an important first chance to identify what additional support for international students may be required for the 2025 academic year. 

    Click this link to join the session: Student Experience Webinar | Tuesday 24 September 11am to 12pm.

  • Individual applications for PM’s Scholarships for Asia and Latin America now open

    “Following on from the successful group applications, the Prime Minister’s Scholarships for Asia and Latin America are now open to individual applications, and this is the only opportunity for individuals to apply in 2022,” Grant McPherson, Chief Executive, Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao said.

    These scholarships enable talented New Zealanders who are passionate about supporting local and global communities to add an international dimension to their learning and develop their global citizenship competencies and networks.

    “We welcome diverse applicants from all stages and walks of life - you don't need to be a current student, and you don’t need top grades. We are looking for applicants who can display qualities like cultural awareness, initiative, and confidence. Previous scholarship recipients have come from a wide range of backgrounds and have studied in a range of fields, including environmental science, languages, law, the arts, and business.”

    More than 2,400 Kiwis have benefited from the programme since 2013, contributing to New Zealand’s ability to engage with key partners in Asia and Latin America.

    The Prime Minister's Scholarship is open to New Zealand citizens or permanent residents who are at least 18 years old at the time of application and have been a resident in New Zealand for at least 12 of the previous 24 months.

    Scholarship funding can be used to cover, for example, tuition fees to undertake a course in Asia or Latin America, flights to and from Asia and Latin America, living and accommodation costs, travel and medical insurance and visa fees.

    More information is available on the Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao scholarship website here. Applications close on 31 August 2022.

  • From the CE: Welcoming back our international students

    Many of these students have travelled to New Zealand for the first time, leaving their families and friends behind to explore a New Zealand education experience. It’s a big deal for them, and for us. Normal student visa processing only just resumed a few weeks ago, and so most of the students are here thanks to the cohort processes that you supported, or as short-term visitors from visa-waiver countries with strong links to New Zealand.  

    Thank you for making them so welcome, and for sharing their stories through the media. Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao has been pleased to support these welcomes by providing Tū Ngātahi pins to share with the students. The pins were created to welcome and demonstrate our support for international students – Tū Ngātahi is a te Reo Māori phrase calling us to ‘stand together’. The Pikorua twist design is inspired by the pikopiko fern, whose fronds curl around one another, which is a symbol of the connection of cultures and the importance of friendship. 

    You can read about the recent international student welcome at Waitangi in this edition of E-News, and I’m looking forward to meeting students in Christchurch later this week. 

    Our 29th international education sector conference, NZIEC KI TUA 2022, finished on Friday – what a great event! There were some exceptional speakers, fascinating discussions, not to mention a few funny moments behind the scenes. The virtual conference, with its themes of Reflect, Reconnect and Renew broke previous records by attracting 1,065 attendees. Thank you to all of you who took part and helped make this such a successful event. All the sessions were recorded, and they will remain available to you on the event portal until 16 September 2022.

    As I mentioned at the conference, ENZ has recently made some changes to our leadership team, to ensure we are well placed to work with you on the rebuild of international education. We now have two new roles in ENZ’s senior leadership team that are specifically focussed on meeting your needs as a sector: GM Sector Engagement, and GM Sector Services. The newly appointed GM Sector Engagement is Wendy Kerr, who will join us in October. Sahinde Pala, who will already be well known to many of you from her work at ENZ since 2016, has been appointed GM Sector Services. In addition, the role of Ed Tuari as our Manukura - Chief Advisor Māori is now also part of the senior leadership team. This change reflects the importance of our work to transform the understanding of international education and ensure the education system delivers with, and for, Māori in the international context.  Wendy and Sahinde are both profiled in this edition of E-News, and you can see the full senior leadership team on our website here.  

    Finally, I want to acknowledge the work done by our international teams every day around the world, on behalf of New Zealand’s international education sector. There are numerous stories in E-News each month that provide a glimpse of some of their activities. In this issue, you can read about new scholarships, digital exchanges, workshops for education agents, education cooperation agreements, and more.  

    He rā ki tua

    Better days are coming 

    Ngā mihi,

    Grant McPherson 

  • Two new sector-facing leadership roles at ENZ

    GM Sector Engagement

    We look forward to welcoming Wendy Kerr to Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) on 3 October 2022. Ms Kerr will take up the newly-created role of General Manager, Sector Engagement. 

    Joining us from fintech Valocity where she was Global Chief Operations Officer, Ms Kerr has rich experience in both education and commercial businesses globally. 

    Prior to Valocity, she was Director of the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of Auckland.  She led the team there to transform the Centre and enabled the University to be recognised as Entrepreneurial University of the Year in the Asia-Pacific. 

    Ms Kerr is also Board Director for The Icehouse and sits on the Board of Epsom Girls Grammar. Previous roles include General Manager for Pearson PLC London, and Asia-Pacific Marketing Manager for Apple. She has been a TEDx speaker and has published a number one bestseller on Amazon - ‘Corporate Crossovers’. Ms Kerr has a Ngāti Mutunga and Moriori heritage and will be based in our Auckland office.  

    The Sector Engagement group delivers strategic initiatives in partnership with sector partners and stakeholders, undertakes business development, and designs and delivers new products and services.

    GM Sector Services

    Sahinde Pala was recently appointed to the newly-created role of General Manager, Sector Services.

    Ms Pala joined ENZ in 2016 after 18 years working for a multinational group of English language schools. With a career dedicated to international education, she brought extensive private sector experience in international marketing, stakeholder engagement and student experience delivery to the organisation.

    Ms Pala has held a number of roles at ENZ working with education providers, government stakeholders, regional groups, peak bodies, students’ associations and community groups. She was heavily involved in developing the International Student Wellbeing Strategy.

    With a passion for delivering an excellent customer experience, Ms Pala will be leading the newly formed Sector Services team to deliver a suite of products and services that support the sector to rebuild and thrive. This includes student experience, global citizenship, global events, and agent engagement, as well as scholarships to support domestic students to have an international education experience, and international students to study in New Zealand. 

    Sahinde is based in our Auckland office and spends her time outside of work standing on the sidelines of sports fields supporting her young boys. 

    View all senior leadership team members here.

  • ENZ hosts its first famil since 2019

    Eleven public universities were represented in the Malaysian delegation of senior executives from the Multimedia Technology Enhancement Operations Sdn Bhd (METEOR). METEOR is a consortium of universities that aims to provide advanced solutions through technology. This was an exploratory visit, to enable delegates to discuss a range of opportunities and possible partnerships with New Zealand universities and Te Pūkenga.  

    The visit was exciting on many fronts as our institutions demonstrated their expertise and explored mutually beneficial relationships, regions showcased their attractions, and the famil delegates from Malaysia experienced many aspects of New Zealand. 

    The eight-day visit included Wellington, Canterbury and the Waikato. While the start of the week coincided with a cold southerly storm, this was mitigated by warm hospitality and the promise of sun later in the week.  

    L to r: Lisa Futschek, GM International at ENZ; ENZ’s Chief Executive Grant McPherson; Mr Muhammad Afiq Bin Redzuan, Group Chief Executive Officer at METEOR; and YB Senator Tuan Jaziri Alkaf Abdillah Suffian, after signing an Education Cooperation Agreement.

    The delegation was fortunate to meet with Minister of Education Chris Hipkins during their visit. While in Wellington they also signed an Education Cooperation Agreement with ENZ that provides a framework for our relationship going forward. They also met up with Malaysian students at various institutions and heard about their personal experiences here. 

    The delegation saw trades in action at WELTEC’s trades campus where they observed building apprentices on a block course.

    Famils are important for ENZ as well as for New Zealand institutions, as they establish relationships and strengthen people-to-people links. They are also a key way to showcase some of the best education New Zealand has to offer across different regions.  

    ENZ looks forward to hosting more famils in the coming months, in partnership with institutions and regions throughout New Zealand. 

    You can read more about the METEOR famil on the Ara website here. 

    A Kiwi welcome was on offer at a private bach in Duvauchelle near Akaroa.

  • February update from Immigration New Zealand

    Update on Student visa processing*  

    Since New Zealand’s international borders reopened in August 2022, Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has received 25,471 student visa applications from international students outside of New Zealand. We have decided 17,601 of these applications, with more than half of our decisions made in under four weeks. 

    *Figures current as at 10pm on 30 January 2023.  

    We have updated our reporting 

    INZ is improving the way we publicly report on processing times for different visa categories. We now publish the processing times for applications decided in the previous month, instead of the previous three months.  

    The website illustrates the median number of days, along with the actual number of days it takes to process 90% of applications. These new metrics give a good indication of what customers can expect, regardless of the complexity of their application.  

    Check out our updated processing times here: How long it takes to process a visa application | Immigration New Zealand 

    Apply for visas at least 8 weeks ahead of intended travel date 

    New Zealand is in the middle of our student processing peak period. You can apply up to three or four months ahead of intended travel if you wish, however please ensure that applications are applied for at a minimum of 8 weeks ahead of intended travel date.  

    INZ generally processes applications in date order and the course start date is also taken into consideration.  

    We appreciate that students are keen to have their travel bookings confirmed given the cost of flights and flight route limitations, however INZ recommends that students do not confirm travel bookings until a visa has been granted. If students still wish to book travel ahead of a visa decision, we recommend that they explore flexi travel dates or refundable tickets.  

    Student visa checklists 

    The student visa checklist is key to submitting a complete student visa application that has the information we need to make a decision. We update the visa checklists regularly, so be sure to use the web link rather than download the checklist. The first time international students visa checklist was last updated in December 2022. 

What's in it for me?