Key Takeaways:
- Returning to New Zealand is still out of the question for international students
- There are still no major amendments to the current plans for international students to come back to New Zealand
- Phases need to be followed by international students to return to New Zealand
New Zealand—Plans for international students returning to New Zealand soon are still out of sight with no amendments to the current plans that will allow them to enter the country again.
During the International Education Forum 2021 in Auckland, New Zealand Education Minister Chris Hipkins said that there have been no major amendments to the current plans for international students to travel back to New Zealand. He added that the government is prioritizing the health, safety, and well-being of the country’s residents.
In October 2020, the New Zealand government provided a category that will permit 250 international PhD and postgraduate students to continue their studies in the country.
In January, New Zealand announced that up to 1,000 bachelor and postgraduate students might be eligible for an exemption to their border restrictions if they have been nominated by their education provider and if they carry a study visa to New Zealand. Hipkins said that this border exception is part of the recovery plan for the country’s international education sector.
The education minister added that the students’ return to New Zealand will be done in phases, starting with a batch of 300 students that will be allowed entry starting in April. The remaining students were expected to return in the following months as allowed by the country’s Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ) availability.
The MIQ is the primary helping factor that backs residents of New Zealand as well as international travellers to enter the country. Aside from the MIQ, New Zealand also has an online portal called Managed Isolation Allocation System that secures the place of everyone travelling to the country in a managed isolation facility before they board their flight.
However, out of the planned 1,000 students, fewer than 150 were reportedly allowed into the country more than half a year into the recovery plan. This is mainly attributed to the lack of MIQ availability, eligibility issues, and long application process.
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