INISTRY OF BUSINESS, INNOVATION & EMPLOYMENT HIKINA WHAKATUTUX! AIDE MEMOIRE \ Further information on Student visa processing for your macy with Hon Chris Hipkins NS Date: |eAeri2010Petority: [Medium ° © _| |In Confidence [Information for Minister(s) ‘Hon lain Lees-Galloway Minister of immigration Contact for telephone discussion (if required) x | (Name Position Jeannie Melville _| Assistant General Manager, Visa | Stephen Dunstan iat yy | ogee ing departmy ncies maine Minister's plete: proved (1 Deetined < Noted (Needs change O Oseen (1 Overtaken by Events x C1 See Minister's Notes O withdrawnMINISTRY OF BUSINESS, INNOVATION & EMPLOYMENT HIKINA WHAKATUTUKI AIDE MEMOIRE Dat Security In Confidence classification: Purpose To provide further information on student visa processing [previc Visa Processing March Update and 2384 18-19 Student Visa P meeting with Hon Chris Hipkins, Minister of Education, si 6.00pm, GLE Stephen Dunstan Acting General Manager, Visa Si Ss sprigon New Zealand, MBI © 611 O 3138 18-19 InConfidence 2MINISTRY OF BUSINESS, INNOVATION & EMPLOYMENT HIKINA WHAKATUTUXE Background 1. You are meeting with Hon Chris Hipkins, Minister of Education on Thursday 11 April to discuss student visa processing times. This meeting has been arranged in response t. feedback received from the international education sector. 2. _ Recent updates on student visa processing from Immigration New Zealand (INZJ| 19 Student Visa Processing March Update and 2364 18-19 Student Visa Proc i] advised: ° + In keeping with New Zealand's International Education Strategy! to support the achievement of the goals set out in New Zea] Education Strategy 2018-2030, INZ is placing greater em between facilitating migration and protecting migrants ai prioritising low risk student visa applications and putting moi * INZis experiencing high student visa application volgen the in the medium and high risk categories. are © Applications that triage as high risk c contain risKiniicatoFs for potential fraudulent documentation, future exploitattsn, and insufficient decumentation to meet immigration instructions. age as low raheog to be from bona fide ‘genul study in New Zealand © By comparison, applicati temporary entry applica and who have a lower ri oviding fra ntation, * This has impacted progeéting Bmes for megingn andhigh risk student cohorts which can exceed the eigt frame adi \keholders'. + Some subsecttts and tkividual ete ion providers have been affected by this more than others di profile ee éy recruit and their course offerings. Concerns raised Giprrational stakeholders ive bodies have been raising concerns with INZ 3. Eicon Gare and the} and nut the tig of student visa processing and the impact this is having on tions. of Te Polytechnics (ITPs) and Private Training Establishments (PTEs) cular re yy have enrolled fewer intemational students than anticipated this and the yaitgbBie this to long visa processing times (that is, prospective students who ve bed of place have not been able to get a student visa in time). A number of ITPs and ve reported suffering significant financial losses and a corresponding impact on re 8 and staffing. Some have also advised INZ that they have delayed programme start dates and/or cancelled programmes due to insufficient international student numbers. 5. _ Education New Zealand (ENZ) has also been vocal about the potential reputational damage caused by increased student visa processing times. They have informed INZ that the attractiveness of New Zealand as an international education destination is being impacted. "In ate 2018 n anticipation of the studert visa processing peek, INZ began advising the international education sector that applicants sould apoly for their vis a least eight woeks before their inlendd vavel date (or course slat date fr those oready in New Zealand), 3138 18-19 InConfidence 3