New Zealand benefits in many ways through export education. As New Zealand’s fourth largest export industry, the annual financial gain alone is estimated at over two billion dollars in foreign exchange. International students also contribute to knowledge creation and transfer within educational institutions, and in a competitive environment the institutions themselves may strive to improve the quality of their services.
In a climate of high demand for skilled labour, international students also play an important role in the labour market through their labour participation post-study, particularly if they can obtain the skills and qualifications in demand by New Zealand employers. New Zealand, along with many other host countries, has developed immigration policies aimed to attract and retain international students. New Zealand has introduced a range of policies that make it easier for international students to work during and after completing their studies, as well as recognising the value of their New Zealand qualifications if they choose to apply for residence as a skilled migrant.
Research has shown that many international students intend to work or gain residence in New Zealand following their study. However, this research shows that there are disparities between expectations and realties, because the proportion of students wanting to stay on is often higher than the proportion who actually achieves this goal. Existing research shows that students’ experiences in New Zealand play an important role in their ability to achieve their goal of transitioning to work or permanent residence.
For many students, the decision to study in New Zealand may be their own. For others, particularly dependents, their migration decisions are largely determined by their parents, who have themselves chosen New Zealand as a place to study, work, and live. This research highlights the diversity of New Zealand’s international student population on the one hand, but it also shows that there are similarities between students of particularly ages, nationalities, or other attributes. These factors, and others such as English language proficiency, combine in ways that mean students with similar demographic characteristics often follow similar pathways from study to work and permanent residence.