No commitment from New Zealand to international students - borders to remain closed till 2022?

As part of its COVID “Elimination Strategy", the New Zealand government has announced that borders will remain mostly closed to international students in 2021. So far 1,250 students have been approved to return in stages over the coming months, and 400 MIQ (managed isolation and quarantine) spaces have been reserved for incoming students in June. The initial group of 400 seems to be a test for the plan. Depending on the outcomes of this group MIQ booking, further ringfencing of MIQ spaces for international students could be considered. There is not much clarity for international students about 2022.

In an open letter to the international education sector dated 21 May, Education Minister Chris Hipkins says, “While we cannot promise students any specific timeframes for entry in 2022, it is important that we are ready to act quickly when the opportunity arises.” Some students will return this year, but not many. Mr Hipkins says the government “will continue to support the return of students while border restrictions are in place.”

New Zealand’s peak bodies in the international education sector held workshops that suggest serious concerns with the government’s decisions on international students wrt concerns regarding the border and managed isolation, frustration with government decisions and lack of agency alignment, loss of capacity and capability across the sector, declining international reputation of New Zealand, impact on the domestic sector, etc. There is also a call for “greater transparency around the conditions and scenarios under which opening may occur.” The sector wants to be able to run MIQ facilities dedicated to international students under government supervision or for the government to open up more places for international students in existing MIQ structures. Lack of certainty on border reopening is impacting on the sector’s ability to restart the pipeline, undermining relationships with agents and international partner institutions, and impacting New Zealand’s competitiveness.