Last 21 June, the New Zealand government announced that partners of students studying level 7 or 8 qualifications specified on the Green List can now apply for a work visa with open conditions. Moreover, dependent school-aged children of eligible partners can now be treated as domestic students. They can apply for a Dependent Child Student Visa, exempting them from paying tuition fees to go to school.
What is the Green List?
The Green List specifies in-demand highly-skilled roles that face skill shortages in the country. The roles listed are those where international talent is needed. Students studying for professions on the Green List can get fast-tracked residency.
“The occupations that these qualifications lead to are highly skilled and in demand – for example, nurses, doctors, teachers, and dentists,” Jeannie Melville, deputy chief operating officer immigration at the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment told The PIE News.
The Green List was introduced after the pandemic to address issues in critical sectors and streamline the immigration process. It concerns qualified professionals in high-demand occupations in the construction, engineering, trades, health and ICT sectors.
Expanded work visa eligibility
The New Zealand government has updated the Green List with the main Bachelor degrees and Bachelor Honours qualifications that lead to registration for certain occupations. These have registration as a requirement instead of New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) qualifications. As such, people with student visas studying for registration can now support their partner’s application or a Partner of a Student Work Visa. Eligible partners may now also apply for a Dependent Child Student Visa for their dependent school-aged children. This allows them to be treated as domestic students. Thus, they don’t need to pay tuition fees to go to school.
New Zealand’s growing international student market
The expanded work visa eligibility attests to New Zealand’s commitment to improving its international student market appeal. In 2023, the region had over 69,000 foreign enrolments – a 67% increase versus 2022. The surge was seen in all sub-sectors (except wānanga or public tertiary institutions) and was highest in the English language sector which experienced a 511% year-on-year increase.
The growing position of New Zealand as a preferred study-abroad destination is further backed up by positive local support. A survey of more than 1,000 New Zealanders in late 2023 revealed that a majority believe in the benefits of international students to the country, particularly economically (80%) and culturally (81%).
To learn more about study and work opportunities in New Zealand, get in touch with our business development experts.
