New Zealand will allow eligible international students to re-enter the country to continue their studies from April 2021.
“The 1,000 cohort recently announced is specific to Bachelor level or above students,” says Kim Renner, of the English New Zealand association. “It’s a good start, along with the 250 PhD returning students that were approved earlier.”
To qualify, students must have held a study visa in 2020 and been studying toward a university qualification in New Zealand during 2019 or 2020. Further, they must continue at the institution they were enrolled in before leaving the country and it must be necessary for them to be in the country to finish their degree. Crucially, this programme only applies to those studying for a bachelor or higher degree and those closest to graduating will be front of the queue.
Students cannot apply, they must be invited and will have to complete an isolated quarantine of at least 14 days after they arrive, for which they will be charged.
“We are still advocating and working with government on a potential cohort of English language students,” Kim says. “While that’s ongoing, our focus is on helping shore up our quality schools, including their ability to retain highly qualified staff while the border restrictions remain in place. Retaining our sector’s expertise is critical for longer-term recovery of New Zealand’s export education industry.”
