Prime Highlights
- Auckland education industry for international education targets NZ$7.2 billion by 2034.
- New regulations stretch work time and work entitlements after study for students.
Key Facts
- 119,000 international students by 2034, up from 83,700 by 2024, according to the Government.
- New work entitlements allow students to work 25 hours a week and have longer post-study rights.
Key Background
New Zealand has launched a ambitious plan to double the value of its international education sector to NZ$7.2 billion from NZ$3.6 billion in 2034. The plan, initiated by Education Minister Erica Stanford, would increase the number of international students to 105,000 by 2027 and 119,000 by 2034. It is published under the government’s long-term strategy for setting up the country’s global reputation as an education world-class leader and high-value talent magnet.
Much emphasis has been placed to make New Zealand more attractive for education. International tertiary students undertaking the right studies will be permitted to work 25 hours a week, whereas they are currently working 20 hours a week. Tertiary study-abroad and exchange students will also receive post-study work rights from the government that will make it more attractive to the country for international students who are willing to pursue additional studies and career advancement.
To finance its expansion plans, New Zealand is introducing the potential of hiring from fast-growing Southeast Asian, Latin American, and African nations. They are the target markets to recruit in to increase its pool of talent of education professionals, especially in light of the competitor nations like Australia and America tightening the student visa. The decision is going to tap growing demand for international education from emerging markets.
Global education program is one of the components of an ambitious economic policy change with the vision to accelerate New Zealand’s economy. The unification of immigration channel and digital nomad visas issue are a few of the other projects. These, as a whole, are going to turn New Zealand into an open, vibrant nation for students, professionals, and investors, contributing to the national advancement and international competition on a massive scale.
