Indian students have highest transition rate to work in New Zealand

WELLINGTON - Students from India have the highest rate of transition to work in New Zealand after completing their studies, followed by their Chinese counterparts, a minister has said.

While 72 percent of Indian students who come to New Zealand get job, the corresponding figure for China is 43 percent, Immigration Minister Jonathan Coleman said Friday.

Similarly, students from India also have the highest rate of transition to permanent residence (47 percent), again followed by pupils from China (23 percent).

According to a research conducted by the department of labour, around one-third of international students who come to New Zealand stay on following their studies to contribute to the country’s economy and workforce.

“Not only does New Zealand gain from the fee-paying students, many of them stay on providing long-term benefits by contributing their skills to our workforce and economy,” Coleman said.

“The research shows that New Zealand is an attractive place to study because of the quality and cost of education in an English-speaking country.”

“Another plus for fee-paying foreign students is the recent introduction of interim visas which allows them to continue studying while applying for visas to further their studies. This will smooth the enrolment process for education providers.”

The research also found 68 percent of former international students were in fulltime employment 18 months after gaining permanent residence.

“This research report confirms what we are actually seeing in the marketplace,” said Richard Howard, a licensed immigration advsior.

(Amandeep Kaur can be contacted at amisehmi@gmail.com)