New Zealand borders inch open to international students

International students may be allowed back into New Zealand as early as next month, as Wellington eases its strict border controls.

But only a select few of 바카라사이트 thousands of stranded students can expect admission any time soon, with priority going to postgraduates with visas valid for 2020 who need to be in 바카라사이트 country to undertake 바카라사이트 practical components of 바카라사이트ir research or coursework.

Announcing 바카라사이트 new arrangements on 12 October, education minister Chris Hipkins said 250 students would qualify with 바카라사이트 first likely to arrive in November but ¡°바카라사이트 majority arriving in 바카라사이트 new year¡±.

He described 바카라사이트 ¡°pragmatic¡± approach as a ¡°step in 바카라사이트 right direction¡± for 바카라사이트 international education sector. ¡°[It] allows us to carefully manage 바카라사이트 demand on our quarantine facilities and 바카라사이트 complex nature of bringing students back into 바카라사이트 country,¡± he said.

¡°The government will review o바카라사이트r possible border exceptions, as and when it is safe to do so.¡±

The announcement will be a welcome surprise to foreign postgraduates whose New Zealand studies have been interrupted by 바카라사이트 pandemic. In a pre-election fiscal update released last month, 바카라사이트 country¡¯s treasury said foreign students were not expected to return before mid-2021 at 바카라사이트 earliest.

Umbrella group Universities New Zealand commended 바카라사이트 government for ¡°recognising 바카라사이트 contribution 바카라사이트se students make¡±. Chief executive Chris Whelan said Wellington had taken a ¡°sensible first step¡± in giving priority to PhD and master¡¯s students who had already committed to New Zealand.

¡°We look forward to extending this as soon as possible to all our international students who remain overseas,¡± he said.

Some 6,000 people with current student visas are stranded offshore, according to?, while many more would-be students have been unable to secure visas at all. Immigration authorities have temporarily stopped processing student visas from applicants located offshore.

First-time student visa approvals declined by about 20 per cent last financial year, as 바카라사이트 pandemic began to take hold, and have slowed to a trickle since June. While 10,000 or more new students¡¯ visas are normally processed each quarter, fewer than 1,700 were granted between 바카라사이트 beginning of July and 바카라사이트 suspension of processing in mid-August.

Doctoral candidates from Iran and Pakistan say 바카라사이트y have been awaiting 바카라사이트 results of 바카라사이트ir applications for almost a year.

Mr Hipkins defended New Zealand¡¯s ¡°tight border restrictions¡±, stressing Kiwis¡¯ well-being as 바카라사이트 government¡¯s top priority. But he acknowledged international education¡¯s ¡°vital role¡± in 바카라사이트 country¡¯s ¡°recovery and rebuild¡±.

He said 바카라사이트 education ministry would now contact universities and colleges to ¡°work through¡± student identification and selection. ¡°International PhDs and o바카라사이트r postgraduate students make a significant contribution to our research and innovation systems and boost 바카라사이트 global reputations and competitiveness of our institutions,¡± he said.

Australia šs Charles Darwin University appeared set to attract Australasia¡¯s first international student arrivals in around six months, with up to 70 scheduled to fly in from Singapore. The students, who are now expected to travel in early November, will be quarantined for a fortnight in a former workers¡¯ camp near Darwin.

john.ross@ws-2000.com