Earlier this week, a new pathway student visa was introduced in New Zealand. It is the pilot student visa which would be valid for five years and this visa would permit the foreign students for undertaking the series of three successive study programs with the education providers on the single visa.
Michael Woodhouse, Immigration Minister and Steven Joyce, Employment, Skills and Tertiary Education Minister, had announced that this visa would be started from 7th December for the small period of one and a half year and would also cover over 500 tertiary, secondary and primary institutions. This one and half year small project is designed to make the country further competitive for the foreign students.
According to Mr. Joyce, the industry for pursuing the foreign education is valued at around $2.85 billion in overseas exchange every year and this new student visa is the key initiative that would assist them to achieve their target to double the worth of foreign education to New Zealand by the year 2025.
The important features of this new pathway student visa are as follows:
The education providers would be needed to have universal student visa rate of approval to an extent of 90% for entry into this small scheme. The providers would get themselves in the agreement for managing the progress of education and pastoral care. The list of eligible study providers who are participating in this scheme would be displayed on the website of immigration department of New Zealand. The students would give a place offer and paid tuition fees for the initial program of education per year and also provide the conditional offers for the following study programs. The students should provide the proof of maintenance money for the initial study year. The work rights would be granted for the duration of visa if the initial study program qualifies for the right to work under the existing instruction of immigration.
According to the Immigration Minister, this one and half year period would enable the immigration department of New Zealand to estimate the results of this short program for the new student visa like the transition rate from the initial and second program of education and how good the preparations between the providers are working. He also said that they would also lead to the effectiveness for the New Zealand immigration and the education industry as the students would not require applying for many visas.
