International students to be contacted

THE University of Otago says it will contact international students who could return to finish their studies in Dunedin as early as April after the Government moved yesterday to ease border restrictions for some international students.

The Government yesterday approved an exception class for 1000 international tertiary students, degree level and above, who began their study in New Zealand but were caught offshore when border restrictions due to Covid19 began.

The exception will allow 300 students to return to New Zealand from April with more students entering the country over the course of the year as capacity at managed isolation facilities allowed.

University of Otago international director Jason Cushen said it was too early to speculate how many students would return to Otago as a result of the announcement.

But the university would work with the Ministry of Education, Immigration New Zealand and others to enable ‘‘some’’ students to return to study on campus this year, he said.

Education Minister Chris Hipkins said the annual economic value of 1000 degreelevel international students was estimated to be about $49 million in wider economic contribution to the economy, including about $27 million in tuition fees.

Yesterday’s decision showed the Government’s commitment to the international education sector, which was important in the country’s longterm economic recovery plan, Mr Hipkins said.

Students would be subject to the same border rules and quarantine regime as all other arrivals, he said.

They would have to book through the allocation system and would be billed the standard charges for managed isolation.

They would also need to be able to do more to support themselves in New Zealand, with the living expenses that were required for international students to be granted a visa now raised to $20,000, up from $15,000 previously.

In a statement yesterday, the ministry said priority would be given to students who were closest to graduation.