National pushes for return of international students, job visa-holders
International students who can be screened, tested twice, and who can pay for a 14-day quarantine should be allowed back in to New Zealand for the second half of this year, the National Party says.
But in an effort to keep jobs for Kiwis, new international students would no longer be able to work in New Zealand while they studied.
The Government is looking at opening up international student education — worth $5 billion a year in GDP — as soon as it can be safely done. But National Party deputy leader Nikki Kaye, who released the party’s plan yesterday, said it was happening too slowly.
“New Zealand is at risk of missing out on international students for the second half of 2020, which will cost the economy hundreds of millions of dollars.”
Universities have been lobbying the Government for students’ quarantined return since arrivals from China — the second biggest export education market — were restricted in February.
Victoria University vicechancellor Grant Guilford said the value of international students was much more than the revenue to education institutes and their spending in the wider economy.
Victoria’s next trimester begins at the start of July, and Kaye wants international students to be able to return by then.
National wants students to have a health check before departure, appropriate physical distancing on flights, and a health check on arrival.
They would then be given a test for Covid-19 at the start of quarantine, and again after 14 days. If that test is negative, they’d be allowed to leave quarantine.
Repurposed halls of residence or hotels could be used to house them, and the Ministry of Health would certify and monitor the facilities.
The education institutes would run the service and students would cover the costs, though Government funding would be required to audit the quarantine facilities.
Existing students would still be able to work under pre-Covid settings, but new ones would not because of concerns they would be taking jobs off Kiwis.
National’s policy also opens the door to people work visas.
“We support them returning to New Zealand as lockdown restrictions are eased, so long as they follow all quarantine procedures and the labour market test for the job is met,” the party’s policy statement says.