Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse and Wellington Mayor Celia Wade Brown will pay tribute to international students this week.
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26 February 2013
New Zealand immigration minister joins mayor to honour international education industry
New Zealand Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse will join Wellington Mayor Celia Wade Brown this week to pay tribute to the economic contribution of the international education industry in New Zealand.
International education is one of New Zealand's top five exports, contributing NZ$2.3 billion (£1.3 billion) to the country's economy and Mr Woodhouse and Ms Brown will hold an event this week to pay tribute to international students in the country and the 32,000 jobs they support.
The event, to be held at Wellington Town Hall, will highlight the country's commitment to international education and include presentations from NZ police officers and former international students.
"Wellington hosts around 6,000 international students per year with direct economic impact to the region in the order of NZ$160 million [£88 million]," said Matthew Steele, manager of Education Wellington.
"While this is a significant number, Wellington has to the potential to host many more students. This is a world-class destination for international students with very high quality secondary and tertiary institutions and a lifestyle that is second to none.
"Apart from an economic contribution, international students contribute significantly to the cultural diversity that Wellingtonians value so highly about their region."
The event will also be used as a launch pad for Immigration New Zealand's new online service NZ Study and Work, designed to assist both international students and employers find each other and explain what rights and allowances they are entitled to.
The New Zealand Visa Bureau is an independent migration consultancy that specialises in helping people apply for a New Zealand Working Holiday Visa.
