Limited number of international students set to enter New Zealand

A limited number of international students may be allowed back into New Zealand as early as next month, education minister Chris Hipkins has said.

The government has announced it will allow 250 postgraduate international students into the country, and it expects the first of this group will arrive in November.

The timing of the entry of these students into the country will depend on the availability of spaces in the government’s managed isolation and quarantine facilities.

Mr Hipkins said: “The exception today is a balanced decision that recognizes the vital role international education will play in the recovery and rebuild of New Zealand and the need to continue the fight against the pandemic.

“It will enable us to welcome back a good portion of those PhD and Master’s students who are caught off-shore, and who need to be in New Zealand to complete their work.

“These are students who hold or held a visa for 2020, and whose long-term commitment to study here was disrupted by Covid-19. Priority will be given first to those who need to be in the country for the practical components of their research and study.”

Our approach is pragmatic and allows us to carefully manage the demand on our quarantine facilities and the complex nature of bringing students back into the country

– Petition against Lancaster University

Key criteria for international students coming into New Zealand are that they are enrolled in PhD programs, are enrolled in qualifications that involve practical components (for example, medicine, veterinary, engineering, laboratory sciences, agricultural research) and that they cannot progress or complete their study while offshore.

According to a pre-election fiscal update released in September, New Zealand’s treasury said foreign students were not expected to return before mid-2021 at the earliest.

However, Mr Hipkins said: “The number of international students we are granting exceptions for is a very small proportion compared to the numbers we are used to. I acknowledge that other international education providers, such as schools and Private Training Establishments, will be disappointed that their students are not a part of this border exception group.

“Our approach is pragmatic and allows us to carefully manage the demand on our quarantine facilities and the complex nature of bringing students back into the country.”

The New Zealand Ministry of Education said: “The government will review further possible border exceptions, as and when it is safe to do so.”

The umbrella group Universities New Zealand commended the government for “recognising the contribution these students make”. Its chief executive Chris Whelan said this move was a “sensible first step”, and added that “we look forward to extending this as soon as possible to all our international students who remain overseas”.

At the time of writing, just under 11,000 travel exceptions have been granted for non-New Zealand citizens and residents, including essential health workers and the family of residents.