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Submissions to Covid-19 inquiry welcome
The Royal Commision is welcoming submissions to the Inquiry from anyone impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes international education providers and international students.
Submissions from international students currently in New Zealand, and those who have now returned home, are eligible to participate. To learn more about how you can share your experience visit: Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 - Citizen Space.
The survey closes on 24 March 2024.
- NZ ITP ISB 2015 Sector Presentation
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Online student visas save time
The Immigration New Zealand service allows students to apply for their student visa, pay application fees and upload documents online. The time savings are impressive – the very first completed online application was received at 10.41pm NZ time on 29 August from a PhD student in Italy. The application landed in the London branch 15 minutes later and received a successful decision roughly three hours after that.
Since launching Immigration ONLINE – Student, INZ has continued to develop its stability and usability and is seeking to shift more students from the manual to online application channel. While the ability to apply online is currently only available to individuals, the “Apply on Behalf” capability will be added from mid-2015, allowing agents and advisors to use the platform.
For more information, please see: http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migrant/stream/study/application/default.htm
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Upcoming offshore events related to international education
Dates
Event
Location
21-25 March
Forum on Education Abroad Conference 2022
Annual conference of the Forum, a non-profit membership association that provides training and resources to support high quality education abroad experiences.
Contact: Lewis Gibson
Chicago, Illinois, USA
24, 31 March, 7, 14,21,28 April
Agents Workshop Series: The NEW Choices
A series of 8 webinars aims to provide Vietnamese agents with updates on new programme offerings across sectors, and new perspectives when looking at NZ offerings.
Contact: Van Banh
Viet Nam
26 March
New Future, New You, New Zealand
A co-funded virtual session between ENZ and one of our ENZRAs in Indonesia, SUN Education. The objective is to maintain a pipeline of interested students ready to pathway to New Zealand universities when the border reopens. The event will feature reps and gradvocates from UC, Otago, Waikato, and Massey University.
Contact: Naluri Bella
Indonesia
27-31 March
Asia-Pacific Association for International Education Conference and Exhibition 2022
APAIE brings together professionals who are passionate about international education from across the globe to network, improve professional skills and learn about new developments in international education.
Contact: events@enz.govt.nz
Online
27-29 March
Global Higher Education Exhibition (GHEDEX)
Organised by the Omani Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, GHEDEX brings together education providers, secondary and tertiary students, parents, and young professionals from across the Gulf region.
Contact: Bronwyn Shanks
Muscat, Oman
27 March, 3,10,17 April
NZ Scholarship Boot Camp for students
Part of ENZRA Co-funding Activities, this initiative offers a series of workshops for Vietnamese students to obtain updated scholarship info, enhance necessary skills and meet up with NZ institutions to plan their study abroad journey.
Contact: Van Banh
Viet Nam
31 March
Kōrerorero: Conversations That Matter – UN Sustainable Development Goal 4
Join an exclusive conversation about access to quality education with university vice-chancellors from Brazil, Colombia, and New Zealand.
Contact: Bruna de Natale
Latin America
2, 3, 9, 16-17, 24 April
Youth Runway Campaign – NZ and Viet Nam school students
Part of ENZRA Co-funding Activities, this initiative offers a series of workshops for Vietnamese students to obtain skills and knowledge about Global Citizens towards SDG – Marine Health, as well as make friends and interact with NZ students.
Contact: Van Banh
Viet Nam
25-27 April
FAUBAI Conference 2022: Known Concepts, New Meanings - What has changed in the internationalization of higher education? How can the future of the internationalization of higher education be projected?
ENZ is a silver sponsor for this year’s virtual event and will have a virtual booth.
Contact: Bruna de Natale
Latin America
28 April
FPP Latin America virtual postgraduate fair
An easy and convenient way to meet with over 90 international universities to find the right postgraduate program. ENZ will host the "Study With New Zealand Pavilion”, having 14 institutions representing a variety of NZ institutions (English New Zealand, PTEs, Te Pūkenga and universities).
Contact: Bruna de Natale
Latin America
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Apply early and get ahead of the student visa peak
Immigration New Zealand (INZ) is approaching a peak period for student visa processing, which typically occurs between October and March as international students who are overseas prepare for the first half of the 2026 academic year.
Get your application in early
During peak periods, applications may take longer to process. To ensure timely visa decisions, prospective international students who are overseas are encouraged to submit their applications around 3 months before the intended travel date, as this provides the best chance of receiving a decision in time to begin study in New Zealand.
Late submissions risk missing the start of study and may result in declined applications if key documents are missing.
Students who are offshore and apply very early (for example, 6 months or more), may receive an approval in principle, allowing them to provide confirmation of study, funds transfers and tuition fee payment closer to their study commencement.
Check the recent processing times for student visa applications.
Changes to student visa work rights
Visas granted on or after 3 November 2025 will include a condition allowing up to 25 hours of work a week during term time, including those approved after that date from earlier applications.
If your visa is granted before 3 November 2025, the current 20-hour a week work limit will still apply. If you would like to work more hours after that date, you will need to apply for a variation of conditions to update your visa.
Upcoming changes to student visa work rights
To support a smoother and more transparent application process, INZ has moved international student visas to a new enhanced Immigration Online system.
The new form is tailored to each applicant’s situation. It asks only relevant questions and provides clear guidance throughout. It also provides real-time status updates and email notifications, giving students and their advisers greater visibility of application progress and clarity around any required actions.
While the new form may take slightly longer to complete, the additional information collected upfront is expected to reduce overall processing time.
Applying on enhanced Immigration Online
Students applying for the following visa types will be automatically directed to a redesigned, dynamic application form:
- English Language Student Visa
- Exchange Student Visa
- Fee Paying Student Visa
- Pathway Student Visa
- NZ Government Scholarship Student Visa
- Foreign Government Supported Student Visa
Applications submitted on or before 17 August 2025 will continue to be processed, and students will retain access to upload documents and respond to Immigration New Zealand requests until a decision is made.
Draft applications not submitted by 17 August 2025 can still be completed and submitted until 17 September 2025.
After 17 September 2025, all remaining drafts will be deleted, and a new application using the enhanced form will be required. The new student visa application forms on enhanced Immigration Online include built-in guidance to support applicants. It helps ensure they understand what is being asked and provides easy access to information to help them answer questions accurately.
Help us process your application faster
To avoid delays, students should ensure their application includes all required documentation. INZ may not contact applicants if key documents are missing, and incomplete applications may be declined.
INZ understands that some students may face delays in obtaining final academic documentation required for their application.
We recommend you apply as soon as you have the required documentation or contact your education provider to see if a conditional Offer of Place is available, so you can submit your student visa application and get the process underway.
If you do apply late, your application may not be processed in time for your study in New Zealand.
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New Zealand to be Country of Honour at China Annual Conference for International Education and China Education Expo 2025
CACIE is the largest international education conference in China connecting professionals, researchers and international education stakeholders. The 2023 Expo hosted 18 national pavilions, attracting 364 institutions from 34 countries and regions with a total of 28,980 visitors, including prospective students. New Zealand has participated in CACIE for 19 consecutive years.
The Expo is scheduled for late October 2025 in Beijing, China.
Michael Zhang, Regional Director Greater China, ENZ said, “Being Country of Honour is not only a privilege, it is a significant opportunity to raise awareness of New Zealand’s education offerings to China and a wide audience, including government leaders and officials, education providers, agents and students.”
The invitation builds on the momentum from high-level education engagements with China in the past two years since the borders reopened, including Premier Li’s visit to New Zealand in June 2024, and two visits to New Zealand by Education Minister Huai Jinpeng in 2023 and 2024.
China is New Zealand’s largest source country of international students accounting for 35 per cent of enrolments in 2023, and a top destination for New Zealanders on the Prime Minister’s Scholarship for Asia.
Zhang said, “Education links are an important part of New Zealand’s relationship with China. Being Country of Honour is an opportunity to support our international education sector to strengthen their links with Chinese counterparts and build new connections. This will help enhance student mobility, academic and research collaboration, and people-to-people links.”
Education New Zealand leads New Zealand’s education engagement with China and supports our providers in-market. This includes managing bilateral education cooperation initiatives such as high-level dialogues, sectoral forums, student mobility channels, national-level education events and research programmes such as the long-standing Tripartite Partnership Programme.
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Proposed changes to Export Education Levy
Currently, international education providers pay a flat fee of $185 per provider and 0.45 per cent of international tuition fee revenues.
The Ministry of Education proposes to reduce the percentage rate and remove the flat fee component, so providers pay less. The Ministry also proposes to allocate some funds from the EEL on a variety of additional activities over the next few years – with an initial focus on initiatives to improve the wellbeing and safety of international students in New Zealand.
You can find more information as well as the full version of the EEL consultation discussion document on the Ministry’s website.
The Ministry welcomes any input on the proposed changes by 8 September by email, post or via its EEL online survey.
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Around the world in five
CANADA
Faster student visa processing for four Asian countries
Canada has launched a Student Direct Stream to make visa processing times faster for eligible students from China, India, Vietnam and the Philippines.
GLOBAL
Let them talk: The power of student reviews
Candid student reviews of study destinations and institutions have a profound impact on prospect engagement, search optimisation, and the overall effectiveness of the recruitment marketing effort.
US
Soft power declines as number of international students shrinks
The decline in international students studying in the US may mean a decline in the US’s soft power, according to two researchers at the University of Pittsburgh.
SOUTH EAST ASIA
Ed-tech start-up raises $8.5 million from Malaysian investors
An education technology start-up has raised $8.5 million as it aims to keep building its platform for hosting massive open online courses. The business has seven Australian universities and 30 Malaysian universities as customers.
UK
UK relaxes visa rules for students from 11 ‘low-risk’ countries
The UK Home Office has announced a revised immigration policy, no longer requiring student applicants from 11 countries to show proof for educational, financial and English requirements. The revised list does not include India, which The National Indian Students and Alumni Union UK has called unfair.
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Prime Minister's Scholarship shakes up geology student's plans
Soltice Morrison was only 15 when that earthquake happened, but she is part of a new generation of students and researchers wanting to equip themselves with the latest knowledge and technology to better understand New Zealand’s vulnerability to quakes. The best way to achieve this is through international collaboration with other countries which face the same risks.
Having already completed a BSc in Geology and Oceanography from Otago University, Rotorua-born Soltice secured a Prime Minister’s Scholarship for Asia during her Honours year in 2018, which allowed her to enrol in a post-graduate short course in geology at Hokkaido University in Japan and stay on to complete most of her Honours research.
Prime Minister’s Scholarship allowed joint research
Under the guidance of her supervisor, Dr Virginia Toy, she was involved in a project which studied the characteristics and behaviours of New Zealand’s Alpine Fault and Japan’s Median Tectonic Line to better understand what causes earthquakes in both countries.
"We’re both very seismically active countries but Japan is much more advanced in its use of technology. We were able to bring some of that knowledge back to New Zealand."
Soltice says that without the funding she received through the Prime Minister’s Scholarship (PMS), she would not have been able to study abroad.
The scholarship programme to Asia was established in 2013 and extended to Latin America in 2016. To date, 2400 students have been given financial support to study abroad. While currently on hold due to Covid travel restrictions, the programme is poised to restart once borders reopen.
Importance of New Zealanders studying abroad
Funded by the government and administered by Education New Zealand, the programme recognizes the importance of giving New Zealanders the opportunity to have an international education experience in countries where we have key trade and business relationships.
There are few restrictions on study options, with the programme having broad goals to enhance understanding of other cultures and business practices; establish new friendships and networks; and upskill the New Zealand workforce through overseas experience.
“It’s very important to connect with students and colleagues internationally in order to get ahead,” says Soltice. “We can get caught up thinking that the New Zealand way is the only way. Studying overseas helps you broaden your horizons, your knowledge, your understanding of different cultures, and the way things can be done.”
In geophysics, Soltice says international collaboration is essential.
“We’re able to learn a lot from Japan and the advances they have made in technology and monitoring.”
The time Soltice spent in Japan ended up taking her career in a new direction. “While I was there, I was able to understand the effects of seismic activity on buildings and how we can strengthen our cities to ensure they’re resilient, so I’ve ended up in the engineering space working for Aurecon.”
But her work also has an environmental focus and she is currently part of the multi-disciplinary team working on the Lakes 380 project, which seeks to combine best scientific thinking with mātauranga Māori (traditional wisdom and knowledge) to better understand the social, cultural, and environmental history of Aotearoa’s lakes. “It’s rewarding work and I love it.”
Reawakening of cultural identity
Soltice says her time in Japan prompted a reawakening of her own cultural identity. “I had always tried to blend in at home, but the questions I was asked about my background while I was away made me realise I was proud of my Māori ethnicity and also taught me the value of indigenous knowledge.”
Building on this confidence, she has set up a Māori strategy group with colleagues at Aurecon “looking at ways we can weave cultural understanding with scientific knowledge into the work we do.”
Soltice says she made life-long friends during her time in Japan and built a valuable network of contacts. “I work closely with the geophysicists here at Aurecon and sometimes when we have questions, I will reach out to my contacts offshore.”
Three years on, she remains a passionate advocate for Prime Minister’s Scholarship programme. “The overall experience – the research, the culture, the living situation, I would 100 percent say it was one of the best times of my life.”
Students value flexibility, networks, and personal growth
The positivity of Soltice’s experience was echoed by other scholarship recipients in a recent survey conducted by Education New Zealand. Close to 300 students participated, with 98 percent saying they would recommend PMS to others. Benefits they identified included the unique flexibility of the programme, the networks they built, the opportunity for personal and professional growth, and the chance to better understand New Zealand’s place in the world.
As for life after the programme, 57 percent said they would become involved in global causes, 50 percent would become involved in political or policy issues, and 44 percent would become involved in their local community or iwi.
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‘Apply four months in advance of travel’ - INZ Update
Visa processing update
As at 7 October 2023, the average processing timeframe for an international student visa application submitted from outside of New Zealand is six weeks (29 working days). This is counted from the time the student submits their application, until the time the visa is declined, or the visa granted. Whilst the average processing time is six weeks, Immigration New Zealand continues to strongly recommend that students apply for their visas around four months ahead of their intended travel date, especially as we are entering the main student processing peak combined with summer, which sees high numbers of visitor visas. We cannot prioritise processing for late applications and are unable to prioritise based on travel bookings. Students should not finalise travel plans until they have their visa granted.
The approval rate for offshore student visa applications received (1 Aug 2022 – 7 Oct 2023) is 84%
Tertiary student in-study work rights
Tertiary students’ in-study work rights have typically been linked to whether the qualification being studied gains points under the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC). As of 9 October 2023, only qualifications at Bachelor’s degree Level 7 or above qualify for points.
To maintain work rights for tertiary students, references to the SMC in the in-study work instructions have been removed. Eligible qualifications, programme level and type will be shown instead, to carry over the eligibility of many students studying below a Bachelor degree.
Since 9 October, all students studying a full-time programme that directly results in a New Zealand qualification at Level 4 or above on the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (NZQCF) are eligible for in-study work rights of 20 hours per week. Training schemes and micro-credentials are not qualifications and remain ineligible for in-study work rights.
