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ENZ Europe connects with students
European students ‘Follow the Kiwi’ to New Zealand
L-R: The Follow the Kiwi Scholarship recipients Ellen, Gabriel and Gaia.

Three high school students from Germany, France and Italy have received Follow the Kiwi scholarships valued at $15,000 towards study at a New Zealand high school in 2018/2019: Ellen Mamier (Germany), Gabriel Zerguit (France) and Gaia Leidi (Italy).
They were chosen from nearly 200 students who applied for the scholarship, each submitting a motivational letter, video or photo collage saying why and what they want to study in New Zealand.
Olga Elli, ENZ’s Market Development Manager for Europe, is pleased with the response from both students and agents in Europe.
“There’s a real interest in New Zealand’s education offerings. Across all applications, we saw students wanting to try their hand at subjects like design, sciences, music, theatre, Māori culture or to learn some Kiwi sports like rugby!
“While many of the applicants are already enrolled and preparing for their Kiwi study experience, we hope the unsuccessful candidates who are still in the decision process will ‘follow the kiwi’ anyway. ENZ will refer these applicants to New Zealand providers, working with their agents to encourage them to study in a New Zealand high school.”
Kiwi Cup in Hamburg
Nearly 300 teenagers from Northern Germany and Denmark descended on Hamburg for the Kiwi Cup tournament – a two-day hockey competition that profiled New Zealand sporting expertise and education.
Twenty teams of German and Danish students aged 11-14 competed in the event, organised by THK Rissen (a Hamburg-based sports club) and Hausch & Partner, one of Germany’s largest student exchange agencies sending students to New Zealand.
To support the event, ENZ and 30 New Zealand schools provided promotional material and prizes such as hockey bags, shirts and fluffy Kiwis all the way from New Zealand. Rupert Holborow, New Zealand Ambassador in Germany, handed the trophies to the winners at the award ceremony.
Olga Elli said the tournament promoted student exchanges to New Zealand to around 300 high school students and has no doubt sparked an interest in many of them.
“This kind of partnership between the agency, New Zealand schools and ENZ is a great example of working together to highlight the New Zealand school system, where students also get to enjoy the lifestyle and sports outside the classroom.”
Lifeswap screens at German universities
Following its premiere in April, the ENZ-commissioned episode of Lifeswap has reached a broad audience of students after screening in nearly 90 university cinemas around Germany.
Olga said the university screenings have been well received and are a great opportunity to connect with students, particularly those open to study abroad options.
She joined Lifeswap creators Steffen Kreft and William Connor at a screening at the Technische Universität in Berlin.
“The episode was a great talking point – we could share our experience of making the episode and also give information about New Zealand as a study destination.
“Steffen was an international student himself, so can authentically talk to students about his experience at Massey studying animation and filmmaking.
“The episode got a huge applause and the students liked the jokes and blend of German and Kiwi humour.”
Lifeswap is an animated series that follows the lives of Jörg (a German) and Duncan (a Kiwi) and the cultural misunderstandings that crop up as they live and study in each other’s country.
The episode features a cameo from Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern who voiced a line of dialogue. It premiered in April during Ms Ardern’s visit to Berlin.
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Brazil 3
South Korea event series highlights growing interest in New Zealand

New Zealand Education Fair in Korea draws strong interest

The New Zealand Education Fair in Seoul brought together 40 New Zealand schools and institutions, offering students and parents the chance to explore study opportunities directly with representatives.

Representatives from University of Auckland English Academy showcasing study options available to prospective students and their parents at the New Zealand Education Fair.

The event attracted 2,100 pre-registrations, with 900 participants attending on the day, underscoring the strong demand for New Zealand education pathways. Families engaged in one-to-one consultations, gaining tailored advice on study options, English preparation, and scholarship opportunities.

During the fair, alumni speakers were invited to share their personal journeys and provide guidance to attendees. They spoke about effective English study strategies before departure, practical approaches to a family “one-year living in New Zealand” experience, and the pathways from New Zealand study to admission into leading universities.

Strong interest in primary education

The fair confirmed a notable shift in interest, with Korean families showing particularly strong enthusiasm for primary education opportunities in New Zealand.

Many families expressed interest in spending at least a year in New Zealand with their young children, allowing them to experience the country’s safe and nurturing education environment first-hand. This reflects a growing trend in Korea towards family-based study abroad and “one-year living overseas” experiences.

Expanding interest in New Zealand education

While in Korea, New Zealand schools took part in the Agent Seminar and one-to-one meetings attended by 51 Korean education agency representatives. There was notable participation from agencies not specialising solely in New Zealand, who are now increasingly considering it a key English-speaking study destination to promote.

The event also provided a valuable opportunity for active engagement between New Zealand education providers and agents, followed by the New Zealand Education Night Reception at the official residence of New Zealand’s Ambassador to South Korea, H.E Dawn Bennet. There, deeper exchanges were held with Korean government officials, education stakeholders, and agency representatives.

Positive feedback from schools and families

New Zealand schools noted the high level of engagement and the quality of conversations with Korean students and their families at the New Zealand Education Fair. Attendees also shared positive feedback, commenting on the value of direct consultations with New Zealand education providers.

The Korea fair followed ENZ-led events in Thailand, Japan, and Vietnam, and marked the final stop in this season’s dedicated New Zealand education fairs across Asia. Together, these events have strengthened New Zealand’s connections with families across the region and reinforced the country’s reputation as a world-class study destination.

ENZ’s Senior Market Development Manager based in Seoul, Kay Lee, said the fair was a valuable platform to not only promote a New Zealand education, but gather insights too.

“It clearly showed how market trends and the expectations of Korean students and families are evolving,” she said.

“For students, it provided a strong understanding of the benefits of New Zealand’s education system, while for schools it was an invaluable opportunity to engage directly with highly interested families,” Kay added.
Market webinar for Schools: Monday 24 July
Nau mai haere mai,
Schools are invited to hear from Education New Zealand’s Manapou ki te Ao in-market specialists in Japan, China, Korea, Viet Nam and Thailand on Monday 24 July from 2pm to 4pm (NZT). The team will provide updates on the latest market information, trends and advice. There will also be time for questions. This is good timing for those travelling to events from August to October.
Please email mary.camp@enz.govt.nz to request the meeting details. This will be held via Zoom.
For those who cannot make this time, the webinar will be recorded. A link to the recording will be available following the seminar, by request to Mary.
120613 kiwibots
November 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 12,259 student visa applications from international students outside New Zealand. We have decided 7,731 of these applications, with more than half of our decisions made in under four weeks and almost all decisions (95%) made within eight weeks.  
*Figures current as at 10pm on 19 November 2022. 
Help us process student visa applications quickly
There are common mistakes which can slow down student visa processing. Please make sure applicants supply all required documents when they submit their online visa applications. Checklists on the INZ website the INZ website can help students gather all the information they need for their application.
All documents should be:
- clear scans (not blurry or missing text)
- uploaded separately and under the correct category.
Also, a reminder that overseas applicants do not need to use the Approval in Principle process. Their applications are processed faster if they pay their tuition fees upfront and include the provider’s receipt with their applications.
Contacting us
Our immigration officers are processing visa applications as quickly as possible. Students and their representatives should only contact individual immigration officers when their application is being assessed and pending a decision.
For any questions not about a specific in progress application, there are other ways to find the information you are looking for. Check the INZ website first as it has a lot of useful information, including the student checklists. Education providers and licensed immigration advisors can also contact INZ through their established email channels.
Pathway visas
An increasing number of people are incorrectly applying for Pathway Student Visas, which can cause processing delays.
A Pathway Student Visa is for international students who want to study up to three consecutive programmes of study with pathway visa approved education providers on a single visa, or they wish to study a multi-year programme with a pathway visa approved education provider.
Students should only apply for a Pathway Visa if they:
- have a letter of support from a Pathway education provider (or joint letter if their study is with more than one provider) stating they support the student’s pathway application
- have an offer of place for each programme of study, and
- can demonstrate they have sufficient and readily available maintenance funds for their first year on the intended pathway and that they can fund any further years of study as per their intended study path; and
- have paid (or have sufficient funds to pay) for a minimum of the first year or first programme tuition fees, whichever is applicable.
Applicants should only answer ‘Yes’ to the online student visa application form question “Are you applying for a Pathway Student Visa?” if they meet the criteria for a Pathway Student Visa. If they are unsure whether a course meets these requirements, they should talk to their education provider(s).
A screenshot of the student visa application form Pathway Student Visa question

If students apply for a Pathway Student Visa incorrectly, their applications will take longer to process as there will be additional tasks for the immigration officer assessing their application.
Pathway visas | Immigration New Zealand
Family travelling with a student
If family members (such as parents) intend to visit New Zealand briefly to help a student settle into their life and study here, they may need to apply for an NZeTA (if from a visa waiver country) or a General Visitor Visa (if they are from a visa required country).
Currently there is high demand for General Visitor Visas to travel to New Zealand. If a General Visitor Visa is needed for travel in early 2023, we encourage people to apply for this as soon as possible. Applicants should state in the “Purpose of visit” section of their application that they wish to travel with the student to New Zealand and include the name of the student.
Visit New Zealand | Immigration New Zealand

Our next E-News update from INZ will be in 2023, we wish everyone a happy holiday season.
post study work rights for international students factsheet
Ministers to address NZIEC 2018
Chris Hipkins

NZIEC 2018 marks Chris Hipkins’ first address to conference delegates as Minister of Education, after speaking to delegates last year in his capacity as Opposition Spokesperson. Minister Hipkins will be outlining his priorities for the international education portfolio on Friday morning.
Minister Iain Lees-Galloway will be speaking for the first time at NZIEC and is scheduled to address delegates on Thursday morning.

ENZ Chief Executive Grant McPherson welcomes the involvement of the Ministers in NZIEC.
Ian Lees-Galloway

"The involvement of two of the most important Ministers for international education at NZIEC shows the importance of our annual hui for industry. We are delighted to welcome both Ministers to NZIEC 2018.”
Held over two days, NZIEC 2018 focuses on the theme of Inspiring Global Citizens. It features a sell-out crowd of 600 delegates and the largest number of industry presenters yet.
If you aren’t attending conference, you can follow developments on Twitter with the hashtag #nziec. We will also be reporting on conference news in the E-News following conference.
NZIEC 2018 sold out
Registration for NZIEC has closed. Due to venue capacities, we are unable to accept any more delegates.
Email nziec@verve.co.nz if you would like to be added to the registration waitlist.
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