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RNZ News
11 hours ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Push to double international student revenue spurs hope, concern
Photo: Supplied Immigration experts are divided on whether the government's plan to double the country's economic contribution from international students is feasible. Education Minister Erica Stanford unveiled a proposal to boost tertiary education's annual economic contribution to $7.2 billion by 2034 on Monday. From November, eligible student visa holders will be permitted to work up to 25 hours per week, an increase from the current 20-hour limit. What's more, the right to work will be extended to all tertiary students participating in approved exchange programs. The government will also consider introducing a work visa of up to six months to allow international graduates who do not qualify for post-study work time to secure a job under the Accredited Employer Work Visa pathway. Under the new proposal, international students who change their education provider or lower their level of study will need to apply for a new student visa, not just a variation of conditions. Some immigration advisers welcomed the changes, saying the new policy could drive significant growth in international student enrolments. Others, however, expressed doubt about the policy's feasibility, raising concern that it could increase the risk of student exploitation. Photo: RNZ / Ziming Li Sonny Lam, an immigration lawyer at Queen City Law, said international education was one of New Zealand's major exports and should be strategically leveraged. He expressed optimism the new policy would attract more international students and generate job opportunities across the New Zealand economy. "I would refer to history," Lam said. "In the late '90s, we had an education boom. In the early 2000s, we had another education boom. "Both of these times have resulted in the creation of more jobs, both for locals and for students," he said. "When you have more students coming in, there will naturally need to be more businesses to provide for," he said. "International students tend to bring money with them, which is going to have a net positive effect on the job market." Malkiat Singh, a senior immigration adviser and founder of Carmento, described the additional five work hours for eligible student visa holders as a positive shift that could expand part-time employment opportunities for students. "If you did an eight-hour shift as a part-time job previously, the challenge was people were getting lesser opportunities because if they do three shifts, they exceed 20 hours," Singh said. "With 25 hours, the government may allow more people to accept more variety of jobs in which they can do three full shifts or three full days of work." Photo: Supplied Singh said New Zealand had traditionally relied on international students as a supplementary workforce, often because they filled minimum wage roles that local workers were reluctant to undertake. "It appears that the government is trying to see how they can help business owners by creating an additional influx of International student workforce," he said. Singh said currently only international students who had completed a bachelor's degree or higher - or those with qualifications on a designated list - were eligible to apply for a post-study work visa upon graduation. He said education institutions - particularly polytechnics offering courses below a bachelor's degree level - stand to benefit the most if the government introduced a six-month work visa for international graduates who did not currently qualify for post-study work rights. The proposed visa would provide these graduates additional time to seek employment through the Accredited Employer Work Visa pathway. "Polytechnics could see a big surge in application numbers for lower-level courses," he said. "This is likely to increase New Zealand appeal as a destination country for international students, because six months is still a lot better than no work week at all." Peter Luo, an immigration adviser at Express Immigration, holds a contrasting view. He said that while the policy may lead to increased enrolments, it is likely to appeal more to international students seeking financial independence than those prioritizing high-quality education. "For example, some students work overnight shifts at petrol stations, send money home and then struggle to stay awake in class, compromising their academic success," Luo said. Photo: RNZ / Ziming Li Luo said about 90 percent of his international student clients were Chinese, and their ultimate goal was to secure a job after graduation and apply for permanent residency. However, a persistent mismatch between graduates' qualifications and industry needs - combined with current Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) settings - made it difficult for many to achieve that goal. "Skilled Migrant Category policies act as a compass for international students," he said. "However, the current threshold is set too high." "Under this policy, only around 3,000 individuals qualify annually, despite New Zealand's historical need for approximately 30,000 SMC migrants per year." "This disparity creates a significant gap in workforce planning and poses long-term challenges for economic sustainability," he added. Adon Kumar, an employment advocate who has been working with the ethnic community for more than a decade, agreed. He welcomed the government's decision to increase the permitted working hours for international students. However, he was not optimistic that policy alone would lead to a significant increase in enrolment. "Most international students come here, get the qualification and still can't find jobs, or they end up being exploited," he said. Kumar said that gaining residency in New Zealand represented a kind of utopia for many international students, particularly those hoping to bring their families for a better lifestyle and access to education. "It's a huge challenge, despite being given extra hours that they can work," he said. "The problem is they can't find a job," he said. "Even if they can find the job, it's not relevant [to what they studied in tertiary education]." He said the disconnect between classroom learning and industry needs, combined with a highly competitive job market and ongoing exploitation, might lead some international students to reconsider New Zealand as a destination for study. Photo: RNZ / Ziming Li According to Education New Zealand, international student enrolments have continued to rise steadily since 2023. "We are seeing international student enrolments steadily rising to pre-pandemic levels," said Amanda Malu, chief executive of Education New Zealand. Malu said there were 83,425 international students enrolled in 2024, approximately 72 percent of the 115,705 enrolments recorded in 2019. China and India remained the top two source markets, accounting for 34 percent and 14 percent of enrolments respectively, she said. She said research commissioned by Education New Zealand in 2023 found at least 62 percent of international students who completed their education between 2009 and 2019 left the country within a year of completing their studies. For those who remained, most transitioned into employment. The research showed that 87 percent of international students were employed two years after completing their studies, with 79 percent working in full-time roles. A spokesperson for Education Minister Erica Stanford said it was ultimately up to international students to decide what they studied and which pathways they pursued toward residency, noting that residency outcomes were not the primary driver behind policy changes. The spokesperson said the government had taken a considered approach to strike the right balance between increasing student numbers, maintaining the quality of education and managing broader impacts on New Zealanders.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Why poets deserve their place on Britain's list of ‘skilled workers' for visa applications
So get this: poets are on the Home Office's list of skilled workers, making them eligible for a UK work visa. How do you feel about that? Are you scoffing at the very idea? Reform's Lee Anderson is most certainly scoffing. It's scoff central over at Red Wall HQ. He's almost as apoplectic about the poets as he is about the inclusion and diversity managers who have also made the list. Not that 30p Lee is anti-literature, no, far from it, it's just that we don't need no foreign poets. No, not here in 'the land of literary giants like Shakespeare and PG Wodehouse,' he declares, adding that as 'a nation with the richest literary tradition in the world, the UK does not need to import poets.' I doubt Lee Anderson could actually name any of my contemporary poets, but I did enjoy his use of the word 'import.' It left me with a vision of hundreds of poets crammed into a container ship in big frilly shirts and with quills clutched in their fists, bearing down on the South Coast. Then, once safely through the UK's soft-touch immigration controls, they're loaded onto lorries and distributed to bustling market towns, where they're met by the red-faced inhabitants who stumble blinking from their homes, garden fork raised in one hand and a copy of Right Ho, Jeeves in the other. Perhaps, as a British poet, I should be thanking 30p Lee for this red-toothed protectionism. Foreign poets, coming over here, taking all our line breaks! I'd better be careful, after all if the imported diversity and inclusion managers get together with the imported poets, white, straight cis male scribblers like me are truly screwed. And besides, 'what we urgently need,' this bluff voice of reason continues, 'are doctors, builders, and entrepreneurs – people who will contribute directly to our economy and public services.' Which all sounds very reasonable, doesn't it? What do you want? A doctor to operate on your dying child or a poet to write something YOU CAN'T EVEN UNDERSTAND about autumn? This is how 30p Lee's politics work – they tell us we are in crisis so we have to choose. Choice at the barrel of a gun. But life isn't black and white, life isn't made up of binary choices. Life is complicated and nuanced, knotty and multifaceted, like the best poetry. Poetry is complex, it reaches deep into our psyche, touches what it is to be human. Poetry and other forms of slow, thoughtful writing are a much needed antidote to the shrill political soapboxing of people like Lee Anderson, and indeed snarky think pieces like this one. And let's just put to bed this idea that the arts don't contribute to our economy. The UK's creative industries are worth £125bn, and even we humble poets play our part. Poetry book sales topped £14.4m in 2023, the highest since records began. And whilst it's fun to dismiss poets as either floppy haired Byrons or modern day versions of Rik Mayall's People's Poet, we are in truth grafters. This is my job. I support my family, I pay my mortgage with poetry. I write a new show every year and take it to tens of thousands of people in hundreds of arts centres, theatres and major festivals like Glastonbury and Latitude. And yes, I sometimes get a work visa and tour overseas. It's all part of the great exchange of poets and writers that has always taken place. Writers travel to experience the world, to meet people, to swap ideas, to celebrate our different cultural experiences and the things that unite us as human beings. In the UK we are lucky to welcome poets to these shores each year to electrify us with their words and ideas, enrich our culture, and yes, contribute to our economy. Of course poets are skilled workers, and they belong on that Home Office list. Poets have spent years honing their craft, thinking deeply about human nature. The best poetry can profoundly change us. We reach for poems when we can't find our own words, we rely on them at funerals, weddings, and times of deep crisis to say what we feel but somehow can't articulate. In this way poets advocate for all of us, as much as any politician.
RNZ News
3 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Government unveils plan to lift international student enrolments
Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone Minister of Education Erica Stanford has unveiled a plan to double the economic benefits brought into the country by international students. From November, eligible student-visa holders will be able to work more hours a week, from 20 to 25 hours, and work rights will be extended to all tertiary students in approved exchange programmes. The government will also consider introducing a short-duration work visa of up to six months to allow international graduates who do not qualify for post-study work rights time to seek jobs under the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) pathway. It would also look at updates to make it easier for students to apply for multi-year visas. Stanford said the changes would be introduced alongside marketing to bolster the country's presence overseas. The goal was to boost tertiary education's annual economic contribution to $7.2 billion, by lifting enrolments from 83,700 in 2024 to 119,000 in 2034. The plan sets out actions for agencies to boost New Zealand's presence in overseas markets, attract talented students and support the university sector through system improvements. "In the short term, Education New Zealand will focus its promotional efforts on markets with the highest potential for growth," Stanford said.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
K & G Law LLP Now Offers US Work Visa Virtual Consultations for US Employers and Foreign Workers
San Francisco, California--(Newsfile Corp. - July 8, 2025) - Due to significant changes in US work visa and labor laws of the United States in recent times and major demand for remote legal advice from US-based companies seeking qualified foreign employees due to a lack of available US-based workers - K & G Law LLP, a boutique law firm specializing in employment-based immigration and work-based visas in the United States is now offering Virtual Consultations for any US work visa and employment-based Green Cards related legal matters. K & G Law LLP To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: Effective today, any US-based employer can request a Face-to-Face Video Consultation with one of the experienced immigration attorneys to discuss options applicable to their specific situation, workforce requirements, current visa processing times, legal compliance, and available employment-based visa programs to meet their situation and hiring schedule. At the same time, any prospective foreign workers who are currently residing overseas or in the United States already under a work visa or other types of visas can request a 30 or 60-minute personalized Video Consultation about the choice of employment-based visa by their employer, employment in the United States, their dependents like spouses and children, options to change or extend current work visa, changes of employer, and pathway to Green Card under Employment-based Green Card. The legal team at K & G Law LLP has several immigration lawyers specializing in work visas in the United States. It is ready to assist businesses and individuals at the convenience of video call by Zoom, WhatsApp, or FaceTime on a flexible schedule and from any location during regular business hours. The firm's immigration attorneys and paralegals speak many languages, including fluent or native English, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Italian, Polish, French, Ukrainian, and Japanese. Clarity of legal advice is essential to understand and choose a proper professional career leading to Legal Permanent Resident (LPR) status to ensure a long-term stable workforce or find short-term, seasonal employment in the United States, for both the Employer and Worker. Virtual Consultations are offered for the following US Work Visa types: H-1B Visa - for "Specialty Occupation" workers with advanced degrees and specialized knowledge in specific fields. While this visa type is in high demand and has an annual cap of only 65,000 visas for all applicants from around the world, issued by lottery method, it's highly advisable to have employer and employee pre-qualification, document gathering, and petition preparation many months in advance and consideration for alternative work visa type or selection of employment-based immigration options under EB-1 / EB-2 / EB-3 categories in case if the application is not selected by H-1B lottery. H-2A Visa - for temporary agricultural, farming, and ranching workers in the United States. There are no annual visa caps under this category, and a visa is usually issued for up to 1 year with renewal eligibility for up to 3 years total. H-2B Visa - for seasonal and temporary workers from overseas in the United States in non-agricultural sectors, like construction, hotel, restaurant employees, retail and hospitality industry, housekeepers, and maids, food and beverage production facilities. L-1A Visa - allows executives and managers to transfer from the foreign office, branch, or subsidiary to US locations of the same company. That is a dual intent visa that allows one to apply for a Green Card. L-1B Visa - allows workers and employees with specialized knowledge to transfer from an overseas location of the same or related company to the United States to work temporarily (up to 5 years) and with the option to obtain Permanent Resident Status by employment for a US company. O-1 Visa - for professionals with "extraordinary abilities" in business, science, arts, or athletics. This visa type comes with unlimited extensions, no annual caps on visa amount issued, and it can be fast-tracked to a Green Card using EB-1 or EB-2 NIW immigrant visa categories. P Visas - allow athletes, artists, entertainers, and dependents like spouses and children from overseas to come to the United States for up to 5 years. R-1 Visa - allows professionals in various religious occupations and faiths to come to the United States to work for up to 5 years and seek a Green Card under "Dual Intent" visa status. E-1 Visa - allows individuals from "Treaty Countries" engaging in ongoing business trade between the US and their treaty country to obtain work visas for up to 2 years and visa extensions for as long as business trade continues. E-2 Visa - allows individuals from "Treaty Countries" who invest in US business and are involved in operational development to obtain a work visa with unlimited renewals and a pathway to the Green Card. TN-1 Visa - allows Canadian professionals under the USMCA / CUSMA (former NAFTA) list of jobs to obtain a work visa for a US-based employer for up to 3 years with the possibility of extension. This visa could be a great alternative to the H-1B due to the lack of an annual visa cap and the fact that no lottery is required for eligible employees from Canada. TN-2 Visa - allows Mexican professionals under the T-MEC / TLCAN (USMCA / NAFTA) lists of jobs to obtain a US work visa from an employer in the United States. Many professional and well-educated workers from Mexico prefer this type of visa to the H-1B due to faster processing, no limits on the number of work visas issued under this category per year, and lower cost. E-3 Visa - a great alternative to H-1B visa for "Specialty Occupation Workers" from Australia, with an annual cap of 10,500, no lottery system, and no limit on the number of extensions, unlike H-1B. H-1B1 Visa - another great alternative to the H-1B visa for "Speciality Occupation Workers" from Singapore (5,400 Annual Cap) and Chile (1,400 Annual Cap) with 1-year renewal incrementals, however unlike the original H-1B visa - there is no "six years" limit on renewals, and there is no lottery required. "Many US employers and foreign workers are not fully aware of all possible choices of employment-based visas and immigration options in the United States. Also, most are unaware of specific restrictions, annual caps, and certain qualifications from both sides - the employer and the employee- required to meet the current work visa requirements. By offering Virtual Consultations with our work visa immigration attorneys, we want to bring personalized advice for clients' specific situations at their convenience and virtually anywhere around the world," said Liliana Gallelli, the immigration attorney and founder of K & G Law LLP. About K & G Law LLP dba K & G Immigration Law Founded by immigration lawyer Christopher Kerosky in 1989 in San Francisco, CA (formerly known as the law firm "Kerosky & Associates"), the boutique law firm specializes in United States Immigration Laws. It was rebranded to K & G Immigration Law in 2020 with a new founder - San Francisco immigration attorney Liliana Gallelli and Los Angeles immigration attorney Jean-Pierre Gallelli to expand its network of legal offices throughout the States of California and Nevada, as well as offer legal help for clients anywhere in the United States and abroad. Media Contact: Name: Steve Dobransky Website: E-mail: Phone: (415) 777-4445 Location: San Francisco, CA, United States To view the source version of this press release, please visit Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Telegraph
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
What Labour's immigration reforms will mean for the care sector
SIR – The Government's plan to require foreign skilled workers to have degrees (report, May 12) will lead to a situation where doctors and other professionals can come in, but there will be a complete lack of people applying for manual staff jobs in residential care for the elderly, sick and disabled. It seems as though Sir Keir Starmer can't run a whatsit in a brewery. Paul Griffith West Malvern, Worcestershire SIR – I note that at present anyone applying for care work in the UK – whether foreign or British – needs as a minimum to meet the B1 standard of proficiency in English: in other words, 'the ability to understand common phrases and everyday expressions, manage most situations likely to be encountered in travel or work, and produce simple connected text on a familiar topic'. Now, according to your report (May 8), the Home Secretary will be demanding that all work visa applicants have English at B2 – in other words, A-level – standard. Is she really intending to turn the crisis in social care into a complete disaster, or is this simply an oversight? Dame Patricia Hewitt Thornham, Norfolk SIR – During my recent second career as a local councillor, I discovered that many social care workers were women in their late thirties and forties who above all wanted flexible working arrangements so they could be home for the children after school and during school holidays, and available during any child illnesses. This cohort, by and large, were not so interested in securing generous public sector pensions, but wanted a good rate for a difficult job with reasonably flexible working hours. I was informed, however, that there was no scope within local government pension rules to allow such a trade-off, and that flexible employment contracts would not be agreed by the unions. The only way to offer flexibility was to use expensive agency workers, often from overseas. This is something the Government should act upon if it is to encourage these carers back into the market. Alan Law Streatley, Berkshire SIR – I read Jane Shilling's column ('The elderly need to be recognised for their skills, not as a burden', May 12) with interest and agreement. I get the impression that this Government considers them a burden, rather than a demographic that still contributes to society in many ways through voluntary and paid employment. Now with the crackdown on immigration, care homes will no doubt be tearing their hair out and may face closure. The patronising tone from Labour is outmoded. Just treat us with more actual respect and then we will willingly give it back. Judith A Daniels Great Yarmouth, Norfolk
