New Zealand Announces Major Changes to Immigration Rules for International Students

New Zealand's government has announced significant modifications to its immigration rules and visa regulations as part of its new plan, 'International Education: Going for growth'. Key among these changes is the increase in the work limit for international students to 25 hours per week during their academic semesters, up from the previous 20 hours. This move aims to attract more foreign students, with the government seeking to double the value of its foreign education sector from $3.6 billion in 2024 to $7.2 billion by 2034.

Key Takeaways:

• International students will be permitted to work up to 25 hours a week during their academic semesters, a 25% increase from the previous 20 hours limit.
• The new 25-hour work limit will apply to all new international students visa holders, regardless of when their visa applications were submitted.
• Students with a 20-hour work limit will need to apply for a 'variation of conditions' or a new student visa, with standard immigration fees applied.
• International students enrolled in approved exchange or Study Abroad programs will now be eligible for in-study work rights, regardless of the program duration.
• Students who change education providers or lower their qualifications level must apply for a new visa, rather than simply changing their existing visa.
• The Pathway student Visa Pilot is under review, with a potential introduction of multi-year visas for students enrolled in longer programs.
• A 6-month work visa will be introduced for sub-degree international graduates.
• The International Qualification Assessment (IQA) exemption list has been updated, with countries like India, France, and Germany exempt from the assessment as of June 23, 2025.

Statistics:

• The value of New Zealand's foreign education sector aims to increase from $3.6 billion in 2024 to $7.2 billion by 2034, a growth of 100%.
• International student enrollment has increased by 34% from January to August 2024, rising from 7,930 to 10,640 students from India alone.
• New Zealand aims to increase its total international student count from 83,400 in 2024 to 119,000 by 2034, a growth of 43%.
• Currently, 41,000 international students in New Zealand have in-study work rights.

Sources:

• Source: New Zealand government, 'International Education: Going for growth' plan.
• Source: Contify.com, News article on New Zealand's immigration rule changes for international students.
• Source: DNA (Daily News & Analysis) All Rights Reserved. Distributed by Contify.com