New Zealand had recently launched a latest student visa, designed to make the nation more competitive for the foreign students. Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse and the Tertiary skills, education and employment minister Steven Joyce had together launched this visa which would assist the country to retain and lure top foreign students.
This Pathway student visa was implemented from 7th December, permitting the overseas students taking three successive study programs with selected study providers. A pathway could be provided by the single education provider or mutually with other selected study providers. This visa would be valid for a period of five years.
Mr. Joyce said that this visa was implemented for the short period of one and half year for covering over 500 tertiary, primary and secondary institutions. As per the statistics it revealed that the foreign students who are pursuing education in New Zealand has increased to 16% in the year 2014-15 FY to 84,856.
As per the official statistics, importantly, India remains the second biggest source of market for the foreign student for New Zealand. During January to August 2015 around 23,447 students from India were registered across the campuses in New Zealand.
In the initial period of 18 months, the officials from the immigration department of New Zealand would assess the results like transition rates of students from the initial to second study program and how good the arrangement are working between the providers.
The study providers would have to get into an agreement between them for managing the education and care progress for students who are registered under this visa. List of all the potential education providers who are participating in this program has been displayed on the website of the Immigration New Zealand.
Students has to provide offer of place and paid tuition fees for the initial study program for a year and the conditionals offers for subsequent study programs in order to qualify for this pathway visa.
This latest visa offers promise to the students and it is leading to the efficiency benefits for the Immigration Department as the students would not require applying for many visas.
Immigration Minister, Woodhouse pointed out that the foreign learning industry in the nation was already value of $2.85 billion in international exchange every year and this pathway visa was the significant initiative that will assist in the aim to double the worth of foreign education to New Zealand by the year 2025. He also said that this latest visa would give assurance to the students that they had a visa for their entire planned route of study.
