Whitireia welcomes permit changes to boost export

Whitireia welcomes permit changes to boost export education

Yesterday (15 June) Dr Jonathan Coleman, Minister for Immigration and Broadcasting, announced changes to international student entitlements for temporary permit holders.

“This is good news and a good move by the Minister” says Whitireia Chief Executive Don Campbell. “International students are a large part of our business.” Whitireia is one of three large polytechnics in New Zealand with a significant stake in regulation of the export education industry. “With over 1300 international students and annual international revenue moving towards $15M annually as part of an overall $50M organisation, we become increasingly concerned with service standards and the strength of the New Zealand international education product overall.”

Under the new changes, all temporary permit holders will be able to study one or more courses for up to three months in total instead of a single course under the current rules. Multi -year temporary permit holders will also be allowed to study for up to three months in each consecutive 12-month period, rather than once only per permit.

“This is a welcome step towards quicker processing and response to students” says Paul Maguiness, General Manager- International at Whitireia. “We have previously lost students due to restrictive immigration rules and slow response times.”

Maguiness considers that the change will have a positive impact across the range of international student study decisions. “Temporary permit holders will be able to decide to take up educational opportunities after they arrive in New Zealand and they will have the flexibility to experience a number of options. This will inevitably lead to a greater number of temporary permit holders deciding to stay and study higher level programmes such as Whitireia degrees or diplomas IT, Business and Hospitality. Enrolments in English language programmes will immediately benefit from quicker and easier permit processes.”

Maguiness considers that it is a positive move to see the Minister engaging with feedback and moving to change previous rules that posed too many barriers to the export education industry.

“New Zealand's student immigration strategy needs to continuously adjust to market perceptions of quality qualifications and efficient, transparent service,” says Campbell. “Removing duplicate processing and facilitating visitor study opportunities is a positive step and very timely given the messages coming out of the New Zealand Education Expo in Shanghai this week, attended by the Minister of Tertiary Education Steven Joyce and Minister of Education Anne Tolley.”

ENDS

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