New Zealand government is considering a radical plan to stop, what it calls, migration-motivated international student students looking for an easy path to permanent residency, which involves removing work rights for international students.
A report by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment states that removing work rights for students enrolling in courses lower than bachelors- level will cut the number of students heading to New Zealand by 7000 to 10,000 a year.
The government is expected to review international student’s right to work after graduation before deciding on their right to work up to 20 hours a week while studying later this year, the reported.
The report states that one out of three students who were working while studying were enrolled in low-level courses. It said the decision to implement this would result in $70 million in lost revenue in tuition fees and the total economic impact of 10,000 fewer students coming to New Zealand would be $261 million a year.
Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway said restoring the education system’s focus on providing quality education was the government’s first priority.
It is expected the private education providers will be hit the hardest by such a step and some could become unsustainable, the report said. It said polytechnics and institutes of technology would also be at risk.
The report blamed the high volumes of “migration motivated students” particularly from India for a gradual decline in the skill level of permanent residents since 2012 and that the Immigration New Zealand lacked the capacity to investigate the large number of complaints of exploitation and visa fraud, including imposters sitting English tests.
The Ministry of Labour has flagged short-term labour shortages in hospitality and retail sector if the work rights of students were changed.
“Students are primarily here to study, not prop up businesses that could be employing New Zealanders,” the immigration minister was quoted as saying.
Another proposal is to start a scheme to allow one-year work visa for a year’s study completed.
