After completing their studies, international students in New Zealand can be allowed to work for more hours and remain longer in the country. The National Party, the country’s current opposition, has made this and other promises in their manifesto. The 2023 General Election in New Zealand will be held on October 14, 2023.

For international students who pay an extra charge, expedited visa processing will be introduced. Further, an increase in the number of hours per week that international students can work is promised in the manifesto. Making New Zealand a more alluring destination for overseas students, and increasing work privileges for international students and their partners have also been talked about in the National Party’s manifesto.

International students and their partners will enjoy expanded work rights, including level 7 qualifications or higher while studying. Post-study work rights for those with postgraduate diplomas will be extended from one year to two years.

Before the pandemic, international education was New Zealand’s fifth largest export earner, contributing $3.7 billion to the economy and supporting at least 6,000 jobs. But the sector is struggling to recover, with its contribution to New Zealand’s economy down significantly in 2022, delivering only $800 million.

According to the manifesto, supporting international education to recover will boost export revenue, create job opportunities, and strengthen global connections that will drive economic growth in New Zealand.

National’s plan to revive international education

Fast track visa processing for international students who pay an additional fee.

Increase the hours international students are able to work each week from 20 to 24.

Expand work rights for international students and their partners to make New Zealand a more attractive destination.

Diversify the countries Education New Zealand recruits international students from.

Fast track visa processing

Currently, 90 per cent of applications are processed within 44 weekdays, despite a target of 30 days. Delays to visa processing are making New Zealand a less attractive destination for international students. To speed up processing and reduce delays, National will introduce a priority visa processing system, allowing international student visa applicants the option of paying an additional fee to fast-track their application. For standard applicants who pay the priority processing fee, Immigration New Zealand will aim to process visas within two weeks, rather than the current target of 30 weekdays.

Longer work hours allowed while studying

Currently, most international students in New Zealand are allowed to work a maximum of 20 hours part-time each week to support themselves while they study. This is lower than some of the countries we compete with in international education, including Australia where international students are allowed to work up to 24 hours each week. To make New Zealand more competitive when it comes to attracting international students, the National will increase the current limit on part-time employment hours from 20 to 24.