Immigration packages under a Government initiative are being used to entice more students from India to study at New Zealand tertiary institutions.
Indian students are being offered a nine-month extension to their student visa after graduation to allow them to find a job and apply for a work permit.
The initiative resulted in a 25 per cent increase in the number of Indian students studying in New Zealand last year.
Another benefit of the initiative for Indian students is if they get a New Zealand passport, they can travel on to Australia without a visa.
Trade Commissioner (South Asia) of New Zealand Trade and Enterprise Paul Vaughn told The Indian Express that “New Zealand as an education destination is witnessing tremendous growth in terms of [the] number of international students.”
“We have seen a 131 per cent increase in the number of student visas issued compared to last year,” he said.
Representatives from tertiary education institutions around the country, including Victoria, participated in a six-day fair in India last week in an attempt to promote the initiative.
Pro Vice-Chancellor (International) Rob Rabel said: “Like all universities around New Zealand, Victoria University is looking at attracting more students from India,”
However, he added: “Often Indian students prefer studying at Australian institutions which offer one-year taught Masters courses.”