Education sector to benefit from new student work rules

Friday 1 July 2005

New Zealand's attractiveness as a destination for foreign fee-paying students is set to increase as new work rules for international students and their partners come into force on Monday 4 July.

The international student policy changes, which were announced by Immigration Minister Paul Swain in April, will give international students more opportunities to gain work experience and supplement their funds while studying. They will also make it easier for them to work in New Zealand after they have completed their studies.

The changes are:

• Eligible students will be able to apply to work for up to 20 hours a week during the academic year, instead of the current 15 hours
• International students who have graduated from a course that would gain points under the Skilled Migrant Category will be eligible for a six-month open work permit, provided certain conditions are met
• The pool of students eligible to work part time while studying will be expanded to include Year 12 and 13 school students and some English language students, provided certain conditions, including English language standards, are met
• Anyone undertaking a course of 12 months or more will be able to apply to work full-time over the summer holidays
• Partners of students studying in areas of absolute skill shortage and partners of all postgraduate students will be able to apply for an open work permit valid for the duration of the student's course of study.

Department of Labour Workforce Deputy Secretary Mary Anne Thompson said the changes should have a positive impact on the education sector while also providing New Zealand employers with a larger pool of skilled and unskilled labour from which to recruit.

The changes align New Zealand with competitors like Australia, UK and Canada, who all permit 20 hours work during term, Ms Thompson said.

"Increasing work rights for students and their partners will make New Zealand more attractive to students from existing markets like China and Korea as well as emerging markets in Latin America and Eastern and Central Europe."

Ms Thompson said work experience in New Zealand was also an important consideration for employers looking to hire foreign students straight from tertiary study.

"By increasing the opportunities for foreign students to work while studying, we hope to ease their transition into the New Zealand workforce when they graduate.

"The changes complement and enhance other Department of Labour initiatives, such as the establishment of the Skilled Migrant Category, which are helping New Zealand employers find and recruit the skilled and experienced people they need at a time of worldwide skills and labour shortages."

The changes are the result of a review of immigration student policy carried out over the last year by the Department of Labour. The department worked closely with other government agencies and Education New Zealand (ENZ), New Zealand's international education industry body.

ENDS