New Zealand to relax part-time work rules, double enrollment of foreign students

New Zealand plans to double its international education market by 2034 by offering incentives that include relaxing rules around foreign students working part-time while studying, the government said on Monday.

Education Minister Erica Stanford said in a statement that with international student enrolments steadily increasing since 2023, the government wants to “supercharge that growth track” to reach NZ$7.2 billion ($4.32 billion) by 2034.

The announcement comes as wildly popular international student destinations Australia and the United States look to reduce foreign students, with universities in competing markets vying to capitalise on those restrictions.

“In the short term, Education New Zealand will focus its promotional efforts on markets with the highest potential for growth,” Stanford added.

New Zealand’s international education market is currently worth NZ$3.6 billion to the economy and the government. The government wants to see international student enrolments grow from 83,700 in 2024 to 105,000 in 2027 and 119,000 by 2034 and double its value to the economy.

To encourage more foreign students to come to New Zealand, the government plans to increase the part-time work hours for eligible international students from 20 to 25, as well as extending eligibility for work rights to all tertiary students in approved exchange or study abroad programmes.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has curbed visas for foreign students, especially those from China. In May, the White House revoked Harvard University’s ability to enrol foreign students, a move later blocked by a federal judge.

Australia’s government capped the enrolment number of new international students to 270,000 for 2025, in an effort to rein in record migration that has contributed to a spike in home rental prices.

For New Zealand, which has struggled with soft growth, the move is the latest in a spate of measures to improve an ailing economy, following changes to visa settings to encourage digital nomads and attract foreign investment.

($1 = 1.6672 New Zealand dollars)