27-05-2025
New Zealand to promote long-term residency pathway for PH scholars
Boats are moored in waters in front of the Auckland skyline, New Zealand in this file photo. New Zealand is currently working on promoting possible long-term residency pathways for Filipino students with scholarships there. Michael Bradley/ AFP
New Zealand is currently working on promoting possible long-term residency pathways for Filipino students with scholarships there.
At a media event at Makati City on Tuesday, Education New Zealand (ENZ) Acting General Manager International Ben Burrows said that one of their key strategies is a targeted digital campaign that intends to boost New Zealand's educational sector to Filipinos, including promoting study pathways that can lead to long-term residency in the country.
The offer is specifically targeted to students taking up greenlist programs, or the top three skills shortages of civil engineering, agriculture, and education in New Zealand.
'This supports ENZ and our government strategy to diversify our international student base, and also align our marketing activities with our immigration needs. So, we align the education goals with what our prospective international students are looking for and what our national skill shortages are… For us, that's a huge win-win, a win both for New Zealand and for our international students, and obviously our students that come from the Philippines,' Burrows said.
However, he clarified that there were still further requirements and a more detailed application past the greenlist, which meant that there was 'never a guarantee or promise' regarding the residency.
'[Post-study work rights] depends on their level of study and the duration of study… Obviously the longer they study, the longer the post-study work rights are, but certainly, if they're studying, say they're studying agriculture that's currently a skill shortage in New Zealand, if they're wanting to stay beyond their post-study work rights, then they have a greater chance of obtaining the different visas that potentially could lead towards permanent residency,' Burrows said.
Education New Zealand will be conducting education roadshows in Manila, Bacolod, and Cebu from May 31 to June 7, 2025 with representatives from different institutes, universities, and immigration advisers to help aspiring scholars find the right track for them.
'We know the motivations across different countries vary considerably… We believe we have a strong understanding of motivations from students from here in the Philippines. We can create an offering that best matches their interests, and we know their key interests are graduate outcomes… Our students here are motivated by graduating and going into a career that provides return on investment,' Burrows said.
'We call our New Zealand qualifications the passport to global success. We're very comfortable if they don't want to stay and go elsewhere or they want to return to the Philippines, but we want them going on to meaningful careers because that will be the real test when people are talking about their time in New Zealand, that it was a really, really well-spent experience,' he added. — BM, GMA Integrated News
