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Update from Immigration New Zealand
Student Visa Update: Apply early with our new online forms
Planning to study in New Zealand in 2026?
Immigration New Zealand’s peak visa processing period runs from October to March, so it’s important to apply early to avoid delays - ideally at least three months before you travel.
On 18 August, applications for the following student visa types transitioned to Immigration New Zealand’s enhanced Immigration Online system:
- English Language
- Exchange Student
- Fee Paying Student
- Pathway Student
- NZ Government Scholarship Student
- Foreign Government Supported Student
Applications submitted on the old form on or before 17 August will still be processed. Applicants can continue to upload documents and respond to requests until a decision is made. Draft applications on the old system must be submitted on or before 17 September, after that all applications must be submitted through enhanced Immigration Online. Paper applications will no longer be accepted from 18 September.
We’ve redesigned the application process to make applying faster, easier, and more transparent. Applicants will get real-time updates, email notifications, and clearer guidance throughout the process. The form itself is dynamic, only showing sections and asking questions relevant to their situation. It also includes guidance and prompts to support you through the process.
For help with the online form, visit our Applying Online help page, or contact Immigration New Zealand.
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Aotearoa sharpens Sherpa’s ambitions on conservation in Nepal
The Everest region of Nepal is his home, and he has seen first-hand the impact of climbers and climate change on the world’s most famous mountain environment.
The former international student to New Zealand is a columnist in the Kathmandu Post, readily highlighting successes and calling out failures on a range of environmental issues impacting Nepal. He is part of a generation determined to find solutions.
Tsewang recently completed his Master’s in Environmental Management at Lincoln University, an international education experience made possible by the Mingma Norbu Sherpa Memorial Scholarship. Mingma was an early graduate of Sir Edmund Hillary’s Khumjung School, an alumnus of Lincoln University, and one of the leading voices on conservation in Nepal and Bhutan through his work with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) before his untimely death in 2006.
His legacy is a scholarship jointly funded by WWF, Lincoln University, and the Greater Himalayas Foundation which supports students from remote regions of Nepal committed to careers in conservation to study at Lincoln.
Tsewang says the links with New Zealand which date back to the work of Sir Edmund Hillary, and his belief in the importance of education for future generations, are a driver for many Nepalese students seeking to improve their opportunities in life.
“The connection is very strong,” he says. “Sir Ed Hillary is such an icon and I feel that the students who come to New Zealand to study are continuing to strengthen the relationship established by Sir Ed and Mingma”.
Fulfilling the dream of a New Zealand education
“The scholarship allows you to fulfil a vision of having a higher education in New Zealand, but more than that, it connects many people already working in the conservation sector in New Zealand, Nepal, and other parts of the world.”
Tsewang spent two years in New Zealand, arriving just before the border closed in 2020 and is grateful that his studies were largely unaffected by the pandemic. He says he has learned much about New Zealand’s approach to conservation and gained a better understanding of te ao Māori and the concept of kaitiakitanga (guardianship and protection).
“I am a Sherpa. We are renowned as mountaineers, but we are also an ethnic tribe with a strong connection and respect for nature and a strong desire for environmental stewardship.
“Seeing Māori taking ownership of preserving and retaining their culture was an important learning for me. These are taonga (treasures) which we should be taking from one generation to another.
“Through my education I want to promote empowerment of local people on conservation issues,” Tsewang says. “Studying in New Zealand made me realise that this is already happening in Nepal, but we just need to find ways to make it more effective.”
Tsewang’s Master’s research was into the effectiveness of the Garbage Deposit Scheme (GDS) initiated by the Sherpa people, in which Everest climbers pay a US$4000 deposit that’s returned only if they bring back at least 8kg of rubbish produced during their expeditions. “Working in conjunction with the aims, aspirations, and opportunities of local communities is incredibly empowering.”
Making a positive impact in Nepal
The students who have come to Aotearoa have made a positive impact in Nepal, Tsewang says. “It’s all about learning from best practice and sharing knowledge.
As one person it’s hard to make change, but by sharing information and knowledge we can make incremental change.”
“We are seeing that governments globally are starting to overhaul their environmental protection policies. New Zealand has played a key role in the context of Nepal because people before me came to study and returned home to build crucial environmental education and awareness.”
Tsewang loved his time in Aotearoa, both inside and outside the classroom, having spent most of his free time hiking iconic tracks. “There’s so much learning that happens out in the field where you hear first-hand of the experiences of those working in conservation.
“This was an essential part of my education experience. You have unplanned conversations which are inspiring and hugely valuable,” he says.
“The last two years have been monumental in so many ways. It’s not just the academic learning, but also the personal growth. I have gained so much confidence to voice my opinion and share my knowledge.
“I will stay in touch with many of the people I have met and hopefully we will have the opportunity to collaborate in the future. Learning never stops.
“The international education opportunities with New Zealand only serve to strengthen the long-standing bond with Nepal. There’s a real legacy involved for both countries.”
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New Pastoral Care Code of Practice for Tertiary and International Learners Released
Today, the Government released a new Code of practice for the pastoral care of tertiary and international learners, to take effect by 1 January 2022, as required under the Education and Training Act 2020.
This revised Code is the product of many conversations, engagements, emails, phone calls, and hui. We are thankful to everyone that has spent time to help improve the wellbeing and safety of tertiary and international ākonga.
The overall purpose of this work is to develop a system of supports for the wellbeing and safety of domestic tertiary and international learners, through one set of clear rules and expectations for providers that can be tailored to their learners’ needs.
We have summarised the key changes and provided links to the new code and Ministerial Press release, below
What does the new Code mean for tertiary providers?
Tertiary providers will need to consider how their overall systems and resources support learners’ wellbeing and safety.
It will be important for providers to build and maintain strong relationships with learners and other interested stakeholders to identify and define the issues that are important for their communities and develop appropriate strategic goals, plans and practices around them.
Providers are expected to:
- build capacity across their organisation to engage and empower learners to manage their own wellbeing
- proactively identify and respond to learners who may face additional challenges as early as possible and tailor extra support to meet their needs.
- respond effectively in an emergency.
The new Code continues to focus on outcomes and flexible practices that enable providers to support their learners in ways that best meet their needs.
What does the new Code mean for tertiary and international ākonga?
The Code will make providers more accountable to learners, their families and community. The new Code expects tertiary providers to consult with learners, and other stakeholders when developing, reviewing, and improving their strategic goals, plans and practices. It also expects providers to be transparent about their wellbeing structures, strategies, practices and performances.
What’s changed for international ākonga?
The new Code covers domestic and international tertiary students and international students in schools. The goal is to ensure consistency within tertiary providers rather than having separate Codes for international and domestic learners in the same provider. The new Code continues to spell out the expectations that apply now for providers regarding the specific needs of international learners. There are no changes to requirements for schools, in New Zealand, who host international students.
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New Zealand and Japanese schools build stronger cultural connections
High-school students in New Zealand and Japan are connecting on the big issues like indigenous culture, sustainability, and rugby, in an exciting joint-venture between Education New Zealand (ENZ) and the North Asia Centre of Asia-Pacific Excellence (NA CAPE).
In collaboration with the Hokkaido Board of Education, seven schools from New Zealand’s North Island and seven from Japan’s Hokkaido prefecture have begun to open a digital dialogue at a time when valuable in-person interactions are limited.
This initiative builds on the agreement signed in November 2020 between the Hokkaido Board of Education and ENZ. It further strengthens the existing partnership agreement between the New Zealand Embassy Tokyo and the Hokkaido Government by promoting collaborative opportunities in education through shared interests.
International education plays an important internationalisation role as it brings a refreshing, global outlook to education at a local level. By building deep, reciprocal relationships with other countries, internationalisation also helps international education uncover opportunities for innovation.
After online orientations for teachers, more than 270 students from three high schools in both countries met for the first time to introduce themselves, their school and city. Schools connected include: Taradale High School and Yubari High School; Papatoetoe High School and Sapporo Higashi High School; and Te Kura Kaupapa Motuhake o Tāwhiuau a Kura-ā-Iwi and Noboribetsu Akebi High School, which also connected with Unakami Primary school in Chiba.
Sharing both economic and geographical similarities between countries, key themes for successive exchanges held in English include language and culture, indigenous culture, sustainability, primary industries, and rugby with a strategic goal of students starting student exchanges between schools in the future.
The participation of Kura-ā-Iwi in the programme is of value to both countries seeking to deepen existing indigenous cultural connections. Hokkaido and New Zealand share many similar features, including the importance of agriculture and of indigenous peoples.
Sharlene Brown, Senior Teacher at Te Kura Kaupapa Motuhake o Tāwhiuau expressed their support for the initiative.
“As the first iwi designated character kura in the world, Te Kura Kaupapa Motuhake o Tāwhiuau is absolutely committed to global, indigenous education in particular Ainu language and culture.
“This is therefore the guiding force behind our commitment to establish new relationships and exchanges with schools in Japan.”
Both NA CAPE and ENZ are focused on continued support of closer indigenous to indigenous connections between New Zealand and Japan. Hokkaido is the birthplace of Japan’s indigenous people, the Ainu. As Hokkaido continues to embrace its indigenous culture, this initiative presents a unique opportunity for richer, more meaningful exchanges by showcasing New Zealand’s Māori values. By connecting with other cultures around the world, students in New Zealand and Hokkaido gain a better understanding of indigenous people’s experience and can uncover similarities and fostering better appreciation of other cultures.
ENZ Director of Education – Japan, Misa Kitaoka said from Tokyo that, despite the ongoing challenges of COVID, ENZ is committed to promoting connections between New Zealand and Hokkaido using innovative modes of virtual delivery.
“New Zealand’s unique cultural values like kaitiakitanga - protection of people and place – are woven into the threads of our education system.
We are very proud of the leadership Māori demonstrate in the indigenous education space, and are committed to furthering international indigenous connections for the benefit of all.”
Following on from the success of this international initiative, the NA CAPE plans to support additional sessions, and connect New Zealand high-school language students and their teachers with their counterparts in Korea.
North Asia CAPE (NA CAPE) is committed to building New Zealanders’ capacity to engage with the countries of North Asia. Find out more about the NA CAPE at www.northasiacape.org.nz
Education New Zealand is the Crown Agency responsible for international education to benefit New Zealand socially, culturally and economically. Find out more at enz.govt.nz.
Want to get involved in future exchanges? Get in touch with North Asia CAPE at nacape@auckland.ac.nz.
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