Recession gives boom in New Zealand Student Visas

The Ministry of Education has released figures which show that between January and August this year, 76,562 international fee-paying students took up studies in New Zealand: up 5.5 per cent on the 72,540 New Zealand Student Visas the previous year.

International students also injected 7.8 per cent more into the economy, with income from their tuition fees rising from NZ$2.4 million in 2008 to NZ$2.6 million this year and making international education one of the top five earners for the economy.

Experts are citing New Zealand as a value-for-money destination for international students, as the global recession means people are looking for cheaper, more affordable options. Also the New Zealand immigration process is less complicated than most other countries, allowing students to feel more secure when making applications.

The biggest increase in student numbers came from India and China, where there is a growing number of middle-class families who can afford to send their children overseas to study, and Saudi Arabia, because of their government scholarships.

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The New Zealand Visa Bureau is an independent consulting company specialising in helping people with their New Zealand Visa applications to the New Zealand Embassy.