Universities welcome return of foreign students

Universities are celebrating the news that 1000 international students will be allowed to enter the country, almost a year after they became stuck offshore when the border closed.

Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced yesterday that 300 students would be arriving in April, and the other 700 as availability in the managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) system allows.

Universities across New Zealand have been struggling due to the loss of international students following the border closure in

March last year. Several institutions have been considering redundancies as a result of the financial loss, while international students have voiced concerns about losing scholarships and programme places.

Although 1000 is a small drop in the bucket compared with the 34,000 international tertiary students enrolled in 2019, it was estimated those returning would add $49 million to the economy.

Students would be charged standard MIQ charges, and would need to book their space through the allocation system.

The exemption has been granted for students at degreelevel or above who had started their studies in New Zealand but were caught offshore when the border closed.

Hipkins said the move would not affect the ability of Kiwis to return home, and it was balanced against the need for skilled workers to enter the country.

Students do not need to apply for places – tertiary providers will identify and nominate those eligible. They must hold, or have held, a visa to study in 2020, have studied in New Zealand in 2019 or 2020 towards their current qualification, and need to be in the country to complete their study.

Priority would be given to those closest to graduation.

Ainslie Moore, the deputy director of the University of Auckland’s international office, said 1000 may seem like a small number. ‘‘But for each individual student, the opportunity to return is huge.’’

The University of Canterbury’s international relations director, Tracey Wilson, said students had been severely affected and she was delighted some would return to campus.

At the University of Otago, international director Jason Cushen welcomed the news.

Massey University was also pleased with the announcement, though deputy vice-chancellor Tere McGonagle-Daly said the conditions were limiting. ‘‘All our international students are important, and we need to provide all of them with assurance.’’