International students will gain more rights to work and also be able to pay to expedite visa processing if National is elected next month, the party has announced.
The party announced its plan to "revive" international student numbers this morning.
National's tertiary education spokesperson Penny Simmonds said the international student sector had been struggling in its recovery from the pandemic.
"Before the pandemic, international education was New Zealand's fifth largest export earner, contributing $3.7 billion to the economy and supporting at least 6000 jobs," she said.
"But the sector is struggling to recover, with its contribution to New Zealand's economy down significantly in 2022, delivering only $800 million."
"New Zealand has been in recession, the cost of living continues to rise faster than wages, and mortgages are unaffordable.
"We need to get sectors that can provide much-needed export earnings like international education back on their feet as soon as possible.
"Reviving international education is also vital for our tertiary education institutions.
"The revenue raised from higher international fees allows our universities, polytechnics and other tertiary institutions to provide better quality education and services while keeping costs down for domestic students."
National's policy includes several proposed changes, including a raft of adjustments to expand the working hours and rights to work for international students:
- 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.
Part of expanding work rights would include allowing the partners of international students, studying a level 7 qualification or higher, to have open work rights while they are studying.
National said it also wanted to "ensure" international students who had studied in Aotearoa in areas of skill shortage to "have a pathway to residence".
The party said it would "ensure international students studying sub-degree courses in these eligible areas of skills shortage receive minimum post-study work rights of 12 months and allow their partners to work while they are studying."
Simmonds said National also wants to push Education New Zealand — the agency charged with promoting local tertiary study to foreigners — to diversify its recruitment efforts beyond just the Asian countries it had typically focused on before the pandemic.
The party's immigration spokesperson Erica Stanford added: "While other countries have adjusted their settings to attract international students, Labour has failed to take any action to encourage students to choose New Zealand as their preferred place to study."
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