International Student Enrolments in New Zealand 2003-2009

Student visas and permits

The Immigration Service of the Department of Labour collates information on the numbers of approved (and declined) applications for student visas and student permits². This information for key source countries is summarised in Table 3, on a calendar year basis.   

Since the peak in 2003 there has been a 64% decline in total applications and approvals for Chinese students, from 61,922 to 22,469 in 2009. Over the same period there was a 211% increase in applications and approvals for Indian students, rising from 3,236 in 2003 to 10,076 in 2009. Japanese and South Korean student applications have declined over time, whereas the share granted to students from other parts of the world has risen 57%, from 29,428 in 2003 to 46,148 in 2009.   

Chart 4: Total approved student visas and permits

A comparison with the enrolment information for calendar years shows that there is usually a close relationship with the total approved student visas and permits in each financial year. The notable exceptions are that the visas approved for people from Japan (and South Korea, to a lesser extent) are much lower than the enrolment numbers. This is because many Japanese students who are enrolled in short courses with English language providers are understood to be in New Zealand on visitor visas, which are not included in the student visa and permit records.

North Asia

The majority of international enrolments in New Zealand continue to come from the three main North Asian countries of China, Japan, and South Korea.  These three countries provided 50% of all enrolments in 2009. There are also a significant number of students from Taiwan.

The spread of Chinese students across provider groups is concentrated within the public tertiary education institutions and private training establishments. It is apparent that most Japanese students enrolled within private training establishments, as did students from Taiwan. South Korean students were concentrated in the schools, and private training establishment sectors, with relatively few enrolled with public tertiary education institutions.   

South East Asia

The following table shows a sectoral breakdown for the four largest South East Asia source countries for international students. There were increases in student enrolments recorded from Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam from 2008 to 2009. There are wide variations in the enrolment patterns of students.  Malaysian students were mainly enrolled in public tertiary education institutions, whereas Thai students were predominantly enrolled with schools and private training establishments. Vietnamese student enrolments are more broadly spread across the provider groups.

South Asia

There has been a rapid growth in enrolments of students from India from 2008 to 2009, particularly within public tertiary education institutions (mainly the polytechnics) and private training establishments. 

It is notable that the 44% increase in enrolments of Indian students recorded from 2008 to 2009 is greater than the 20% increase in approved student visas and permits granted to Indian nationals from 2008 to 2009, as shown in Table 3.

The Middle East

Students from the Middle East studying in New Zealand are predominantly from Saudi Arabia, and these students have mainly enrolled in private training establishments – predominantly English language schools (58% in 2009).  

Europe

Enrolments of European students are concentrated within private training establishments and the public tertiary education institutions. Enrolment information for the top four European source countries is stated in Table 8.  From 2008 to 2009 there were marked increases in enrolments of German students in schools and private training establishments, and in French enrolments with private training establishments. 

North America

Enrolments of students from North America (overwhelmingly the United States of America) are predominantly within the public tertiary education institutions, primarily the universities.    

Latin America

Enrolments of students from Latin America (defined as the Central and South America regions) were mainly with private training establishments. Enrolment information for the top four source countries is stated in Table 10.

Footnote

2. Student visas are applied for by people resident in other countries.  Student permits are usually applied for by people who have already arrived in New Zealand, who wish to study here.