Universities all over the New Zealand had thanked the government for paying attention to the recommendations that were made and also for launching a latest student visa for making New Zealand much more competitive for catching the attention of and retaining top foreign students.
The new Pathway Student Visa would provide the foreign students a visa for their complete intended route of study in New Zealand. This new visa would be valid for up to the period of three successive study programs with the selected tertiary, primary and secondary education providers, till five years.
According to Chris Whelan, Executive Director, Universities New Zealand, universities with other tertiary providers had been working with the Immigration Department for minimizing the hurdles to attract and retain the foreign students for study in New Zealand.
He also said that this is the superior result for the education sector. This visa would assist in retaining the foreign students by offering them the route from secondary schools into the universities or also helps them to move between the universities or to move from the bachelor to post graduate programs. And this visa would also assist New Zealand further competitive with the other nations like Australia where related pathway program are already in use.
At present in New Zealand, the foreign students are making up around 11% of the total student population. These students are New Zealand’s 5th major export earner which is worth $2.85 every year with the universities generating more than $1billion of this every year.
Chris Whelan goes on telling that the foreign students are also vital to the universities as they assist the universal thinking. Students from New Zealand obtain the chance to study with the students from diverse cultures with different experiences and views. As these connections and experiences are priceless as the students catch their position in the world.
