Our co-hosts then turn the microphone over to ICEF’s Rod Hearps for a discussion recorded live in March at in Wellington. Rod is joined by Celia Coombes. the Director Visa with Immigration New Zealand and Sharon-May McCrostie, the Director for International and Sector Engagement with Education New Zealand.

The group explores New Zealand’s successes and growth potential as a key study destination. Following an overview of the country’s enrolment growth in 2025, as well as the latest visa trends, the conversation moves on to areas for future development and predictions for the year ahead.

You can listen right now in the player below, and we encourage you to subscribe via your favourite podcast app in order to receive future episodes automatically.

For additional background, please see:

• “New Zealand reports solid foreign enrolment growth for 2025“
• “91ɬ��Podcast: Student flows are shifting. Are agencies following suit?“

The post 91ɬ��Podcast: “Good, steady, and disciplined”: New Zealand’s plan for sustainable international enrolment growth appeared first on 91ɬ��Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

The latest data from shows a total foreign enrolment of 92,580 in 2025, up from 83,425 the year before.

Universities accounted for a lot of that growth in 2025, with higher education enrolments rising +14% year-over-year. The schools sector was another notable gainer, with +10% growth compared to 2024.

China, representing 34% of the 2025 enrolment, and India (14%) remain the two largest sending markets. Together, they account for nearly half of all international students in the country. Other top sending markets include Japan (9%), South Korea (4%), Sri Lanka (4%), Germany (3%), US (3%), Nepal (3%), and the Philippines (3%).

“Strong growth was seen in a small number of new markets including Sri Lanka and Nepal,” says ENZ’s Acting Chief Executive Dr Linda Sissons. “These markets have been factored into our market prioritisation and investment framework for 2026/27.”

The number of Nepali students nearly doubled from 1,555 in 2024 to 2,660 in 2025, with enrolments highly concentrated in the PTE sector (private training establishment). Enrolments from Sri Lanka, meanwhile, rose from 2,360 in 2024 to 3,415 last year, with Sri Lankan students more evenly distributed across universities, PTEs, and ITPs (institutes of technology or polytechnics).

The 2025 enrolment data follows closely on the heels of the findings from the latest , which found that 22% of prospective international students now place New Zealand in their top three choices of study destinations. This effectively achieves, nearly a decade ahead of schedule, a target set for 2034 in New Zealand’s Going for Growth Plan.

Commenting on the survey findings, Education New Zealand says, “The survey expands brand tracking beyond the traditional ‘Big Four’ markets, including the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada, to a broader group of 11 global study markets, offering a clearer picture of New Zealand’s competitive position.

Across these markets, preference for New Zealand is growing across its priority markets, supporting a more diversified and resilient approach to growth.

Awareness of New Zealand as a study destination is high at 79% across key source markets, on par with leading European and Asian destinations.”

For additional background, please see:

• “New Zealand expands post-study work opportunities for international students“
• “New Zealand’s international student numbers climbing amid strong public support“
• “New Zealand announces strong foreign enrolment growth along with a new international education strategy“

The post New Zealand reports solid foreign enrolment growth for 2025 appeared first on 91ɬ��Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

In late 2026, New Zealand is rolling out a new Short Term Graduate Work Visa and extending eligibility for the Post Study Work Visa. No set date for the launch of these new visa provisions has been established.

New Zealand’s international education strategy favours managed growth over the next few years. The plan is to grow student enrolments from 83,400 in 2024 to 105,000 in 2027 and 119,000 by 2034. Between January and August of 2025, New Zealand institutions hosted 85,535 international students (+14% over the same period in 2024). This number was already higher than the full-year total in 2024, and all sub-sectors experienced growth.

Generous work rights are part of New Zealand’s strategy to increase its attractiveness to international students.

New work visa: The Short Term Graduate Work Visa

The Short Term Graduate Work Visa is for students who are not eligible for the Post Study Work Visa. It will provide 6 months of open work rights, “allowing time to look for work and, where appropriate, transition to an Accredited Employer Work Visa.”

To be eligible, applicants must hold a qualification at NZQCF at level 5–7 (i.e., certificate/diploma to bachelor’s degree) that was studied full time for at least 24 weeks in New Zealand and that does not make them eligible for a Post Study Work Visa. That qualification cannot have been an English language, foundation, or bridging qualification.

Short Term Graduate Work Visa holders will not be able to support family for a work or dependent child student visa. However, says New Zealand Immigration:

“They can check if they are able to support them for a visitor visa instead. Dependent children can also apply for a student visa as international students, and partners can apply for work visas on their own merit.”

For more on the visa and eligibility requirements, please visit this New Zealand Immigration .

Extended eligibility: Post Study Work Visa

The Post Study Work Visa allows holders to work in New Zealand for up to three years, depending on their qualification. Currently, it is eligible to students who have graduated with an NZQCF Level 7 bachelor’s degree taken full-time at a New Zealand institution but not to those who have earned a Level 7 NZQCF graduate diploma. This will change in late 2026.

Along with , applicants with the NZQCF graduate diploma will need to have completed a bachelor’s degree in New Zealand or elsewhere to be eligible for the Post Study Work Visa.

Post Study Work Visa holders are permitted to support partners and dependent children for visitor, work, or dependent child student visas, as long as requirements are met.

Education exports are growing

The “” strategy aims to double the economic impact of the international education in New Zealand over the next decade from NZD$3.6 billion in 2024 to NZD$7.2 billion by 2034.

Stats NZ data show that education-related travel exports reached NZD$4.5 billion in 2025 (up to September).

For additional background, please see:

• “What students want: The top decision factors for study abroad“
• “New Zealand announces strong foreign enrolment growth along with a new international education strategy” 
• “New Zealand’s international student numbers climbing amid strong public support“

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Keystone Education Group’s 2025 data reveals a dynamic year for international student mobility, with some sharp declines across traditional powerhouses alongside rapid growth in emerging destinations.

The data, drawn from millions of annual student search indicators and enrolment data, shows that international student mobility is increasingly being shaped by a combination of supply-side policies and demand-side preferences among students.

Fredrik Högemark, CEO of Keystone Education Group, said: “This year has been one of the most volatile we’ve tracked in our data. Students are weighing affordability and safety more than ever, and as return on investment becomes a necessity, this is leveling the playing field beyond the ‘Big Four’.”

“Policy changes announced mid-cycle in 2025 forced students to rapidly adjust their plans, while we have also observed numerous anti-globalisation measures that have inadvertently affected international education.”

Since fall 2023, international interest in the US across Keystone’s platforms dropped by -47%.
However, the growth of post-study work opportunities and OPT continues to influence enrolments in the US, particularly with the two largest source markets – India and China.

And, when we look at the second half of 2025 in isolation, interest in the US is showing signs of stability again and it remains the most searched destination across Keystone sites.

The decline in US interest, while extreme, is not the steepest globally. Canada and Australia also experienced similar drops in interest over the same period.

For Australia, this trend also might be starting to turn for 2026, with early indications in Keystone’s Q3 2025 data showing a more positive outlook – with search interest up +8% compared to Q2 in 2025.

The UK was Keystone’s second leading study destination in 2025, recognised globally for its academic reputation. Beyond its reputation, Keystone’s 2025 State of Student Recruitment Report found the UK also ranks highest for reputation and safety of the Big Four.

Fredrik added:

“We have seen very strong trends for UK study across Keystone’s platforms this year and data from September 2025 also showed study visa applications are up 7% over 2024, so the environment had been looking stable for 2026. However, the news in October of a shorter post-study-work entitlement in the UK will likely have an impact on interest there. The question is how much impact?”

Europe as a collective also continued to amass student interest, particularly at the end of 2025, with five of the top 10 searched destinations in November in Europe.

Spain, Italy, Germany, and France all recorded more student search interest than Canada and Australia, with Spain’s search volume rivalling the UK’s popularity.

Nordic destinations have also experienced an upward trend, with a +33% rise in interest as of April 2025. Meanwhile, the UAE continues to build its profile as a global education hub, with Keystone data showing a near +90% increase in search interest for UAE study opportunities in June 2025.

It has also been a breakthrough year for the Asian Tigers – Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and South Korea.

Malaysia led the surge with a +64% increase in student searches from March to May on Keystone sites, followed by Singapore with +51%. Japan’s popularity also grew in this period, while South Korea entered the top 10 study destinations for the first time.

Fredrik added: “It is no surprise South Korea and Japan are growing in popularity. Japan has a very pro-international policy – it is launching more and more English-taught programmes and the good collaboration between higher education and the government is evident. South Korea is in a similar situation. Both have been fully embracing and supporting international education.”

West Africa was an unlikely player in 2025 but saw a surge in searches from international students, with a +25% increase in interest in the region on Keystone’s sites between May and July this year.

For additional background, please see:

• “Global trends in international enrolments and policies as we head into 2026”
• “Canada and the US are losing international student enrolments to Europe and Asia”
• “The changing face of international student mobility”

The post Search and enrolment data foreshadows international enrolment trends for 2026 appeared first on 91ɬ��Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

Robust growth in schools, universities, and private training establishments (PTEs)

Universities enrol the most international students (36,045) and hosted 15% more students in Jan–Aug 2025 as in the same period in 2024. Schools enrol the next largest segment (18,505) and are up +10% over last year. The most growth happened within government-funded private training establishments (PTEs), where a +33% uptick brought total numbers for these institutions to 12,060. English-language providers experienced a +7% increase to 7,570 international students in Jan–August 2025.

China remains the most important source market

More than , and 14% are from India.

There are now close to 30,000 Chinese studying in New Zealand (+4% over last year following +19% growth in 2023 and a +17% rise in 2024). There are nearly 12,000 Indian students – a stable number from 2024 after two years of high growth (+99% in 2023 and +49% in 2024). Most Chinese study in universities, while Indians are more evenly divided across New Zealand’s vocational and higher education sub-sectors.

Japan accounts for the third largest share of international students in New Zealand (8%), though numbers are down in 2025 (-9%) after a phenomenal jump in 2023 (+291%) and +11% growth in 2024.

Rounding out the top ten are Sri Lanka, South Korea, the US, Germany, Nepal, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Sri Lanka and Nepal are becoming more important international markets for New Zealand educators. Sri Lanka moved from 9th to 4th, and Nepal moved from 11th to 8th. In 2023, year-over-year growth from Sri Lanka hit +98%, and then +97% and +32% in 2024 and 2025, respectively. Nepal has surged even more: +180% in 2023, +127% in 2024, and +52% in 2025. In 2022, there were only about 250 students from Nepal; now, there are close to 2,500.

Sustainable growth is the goal

Education New Zealand (ENZ) Chief Executive Amanda Malu said,

“Our steady growth shows the sector is resilient and competitive as we move at pace to deliver on the International Education Going for Growth Plan. We are not chasing numbers at any cost, we are focused on sustainable, balanced growth that benefits our regions, strengthens our economy, and adds value to our communities.”

Measured growth leads to economic returns and public license for internationalisation

Ms Malu also said:

“This growth is not only an academic success story, but also an economic one. International students contribute substantially to local communities and the national economy, reinforcing the international education sector’s role as a cornerstone of New Zealand’s global engagement strategy.”

Stats NZ data show that education-related travel exports reached NZD$4.5 billion in 2025 (up to September). This is up from NZD$3.6 billion in the year ended December 2024. International education is one of New Zealand’s top 10 export sectors, contributing 13.6% of all services exports.

The New Zealand public appears to be satisfied with the sector’s approach to internationalisation. In ENZ’s latest 2025 Public Perceptions of International Education Survey, more than three-quarters (77%) of surveyed New Zealanders said they want to see the same or more international students in the country. This compares to about half of Australians and Britons who feel the same way.

Commenting on the ENZ survey findings, Ms Malu said: “It’s absolutely fantastic to see New Zealanders continue to back international students so strongly year after year.”  

For additional background, please see:

• “New Zealand announces strong foreign enrolment growth along with a new international education strategy”

The post New Zealand’s international student numbers climbing amid strong public support appeared first on 91ɬ��Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

And it means, says BONARD’s , that the ELT sector was sitting at 73% of its pre-pandemic enrolment, and 75% of 2019’s student weeks, for 2024.

As to why, the report points to the same headwinds that are buffeting student flows to major study destinations in 2024 and 2025, but also that students are finding alternative options for language study.

“The data shows two dominant forces reshaping student mobility: visa barriers and affordability,” said Sarah Verkinova, Head of International Education at BONARD Education. “This has pushed many students to explore alternative destinations such as Dubai and the Philippines, which together attracted more than 100,000 ELT learners in 2024.” Among the top eight destinations represented in the report, only Ireland and Malta are trending above their respective pre-COVID benchmarks. BONARD attributes that progress to Ireland and Malta’s visa-friendly policies and work rights for language learners that helped, “attract students discouraged by stricter regulations, high course fees, and other expenses in other destinations.”

The report adds that, while ELT volumes in the UK declined in 2024, the United Kingdom remains the most popular destination for English language study, with an estimated 38% market share. Part of that strength arises from the UK’s dominant position in the junior market. Junior students accounted for 62% of total ELT enrolments in the UK in 2024, the most of any of the top eight destinations. Ireland and Malta – again, the only two destinations to reach above pre-pandemic levels in 2024 – also hosted significant numbers of junior students last year (55% and 50% of ELT enrolments respectively).

Softening source markets

The top ten sending markets for ELT accounted for nearly two-thirds (63%) of all student weeks in 2024. Brazil moved past Colombia to become the largest ELT market during the year. With the exception of Colombia, all of the top five senders have declined from pre-pandemic levels.

The outlook for this year

“In 2025, government interventions and economic conditions will continue to shape global ELT trends,” says the report. “Policy shifts, visa regulations, and financial pressures are expected to influence both student decision-making and destination performance.

“Junior student mobility to the traditional ‘Big Four’ countries is projected to decline further. Concerns around safety and perceptions of a less welcoming environment are discouraging parents and students from choosing these study destinations…In summary, 2025 is likely to bring another year of decline for the eight major ELT study destinations. The same combination of factors will continue to weigh on the sector: immigration and visa policies in several countries, persistent visa and affordability barriers, and significant share of international students, particularly from China, choosing not to travel.”

For additional background, please see:

• “Nearly 30 Canadian language programmes closed in Q1, marking the ‘sharpest decline in the sector’s history’“
• “Irish ELT sector sounds note of ‘cautious stability’ for 2024“
• “US ELT numbers moving toward pre-pandemic norms“
• “UK ELT reports a decline in student weeks for 2024“

The post Global ELT volumes dipped in 2024 appeared first on 91ɬ��Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

“Universities and government-funded private training establishments (PTEs) are close to matching 2019 enrolment numbers,” said Education New Zealand Chief Executive Amanda Malu. “We are seeing enrolments grow across universities, schools, Te Pūkenga/NZIST, government-funded PTEs, and English language schools subsectors. In 2024, the strongest year-on-year growth was seen at government-funded PTEs (+59%) along with primary (+53%) and intermediate (+32%) schools.”

ENZ reports that graduate studies is another important growth area. “Between 2023 and 2024, there has been a 68% increase in master’s enrolments, with 14,695 international students in 2024, up from 8,740 in 2023,” adds Ms Malu. “This is an 85% increase compared to 2019 when we had 7,945 enrolments for master’s study.”

As of last year, nearly half of all international students in New Zealand (40%) were enrolled in university studies. Another 22% were in K-12 schools, 14% in PTEs, and 12% in NZIST, and 12% in English language studies.

Most student arrive from key Asian sending markets, including China (34% of 2024 enrolments), India (14%), Japan (9%), South Korea (4%), and Thailand (3%). The United States (3% of 2024 enrolments) and Germany (another 3%) are the only non-Asian markets to appear in the top ten senders for New Zealand for 2024.

Going for growth

Education Minister Erica Stanford released a new international education strategy for New Zealand on 14 July 2025. The “” strategy aims to double the economic impact of the sector in New Zealand over the next decade, expanding from NZD$3.6 billion as of 2024 to NZD$7.2 billion by 2034.

The plan centres on three core objectives, each of which signals the country’s intent to pursue a managed growth strategy that will see international student numbers expand gradually over the next ten years.

• To raise awareness of New Zealand as a study destination from 40% in 2024, to 42% in 2027 and 44% by 2034.
• To grow student enrolments from 83,400 in 2024 to 105,000 in 2027 and 119,000 by 2034.
• To increase the proportion of prospective students rating NZ among their top three choices of study destination from 18% in 2024 to 20% in 2027 and 22% in 2034.

“International education is one of our largest exports, injecting NZD$3.6 billion into our economy in 2024. It also provides opportunities for research, strengthening trade and people-to-people connections, which are important to drive investment, productivity and innovation in New Zealand,” said Minister Stanford. “With international student enrolments steadily increasing since 2023, we want to supercharge that growth track and make New Zealand the destination of choice for international students.”

The plan also sets out a number of core strategies, specifically that New Zealand will:

• “Launch a high-profile global branding campaign to showcase NZ education’s unique advantages and raise awareness in key international markets.
• Implement an improved agent network model that standardises training and engagement with recruitment agents to increase effectiveness in student outreach and enhance education provider collaboration with agents.
• Advance our AI-driven platform providing round-the-clock support and information to prospective students and partners worldwide, improving responsiveness and service quality.”

Linking plan to policy

The Going for Growth plan also highlights that New Zealand is moving to streamline student visa processes and open up additional work rights for visiting students.

For the moment, this includes an announcement this week that limits on in-study work rights will be expanded from 20 hours week to 25 hours per week for eligible student visa holders as of November 2025. Eligibility for in-study work will also be extended to “all tertiary students in approved exchange or Study Abroad programmes, including programmes one-semester long.”

The government has also indicated that it intends to further explore the introduction of a short-duration work visa of up to six months “to provide some international graduates who do not qualify for post-study work rights, allowing time to seek employment in their field of study under the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) pathway.”

“In the short term, Education New Zealand will focus its promotional efforts on markets with the highest potential for growth,” adds Minister Stanford. “We’re taking a considered and strategic approach. It’s important to strike the right balance between increasing student numbers, maintaining the quality of education, and managing broader impacts on New Zealanders. Our plan will deliver that.”

For additional background, please see:

• “New Zealand resource aims to connect prospective international students with qualified agents“
• “New Zealand: International student enrolments up 67% in 2023 amid growing public support“
• “New Zealand expands work rights for accompanying dependants of foreign students“
• Of special note to agency-based counsellors: the . Join this online course for a comprehensive understanding of New Zealand’s education system and study options, and to develop specialist skills for advising students who wish to study in the country.

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The guidance continues, “During peak periods, applications may take longer to process. It is important anyone wanting to come to New Zealand to study in the second half of the 2025 academic year does not leave it too late to submit their visa application.

Students with a study start date in July or August should apply now.”

The mid-year processing peak for New Zealand typically occurs between May and August each year, and INZ generally advises that students should apply at least three months before their intended travel date.

Additional detail on wait lists for visas processing . Please note, however, that that reflects wait times for visas processed in the past four weeks, and does not indicate the wait times that should be anticipated during peak processing windows.

That heavier visa processing period takes on more significance given the growing popularity of New Zealand as a study destination. At the end of 2024, Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds announced that foreign enrolment was up by 6% over 2023 levels.

“With 73,535 enrolments between January to August 2024, more enrolments have been achieved in just two terms this year than we saw in all of last year,” said the Minister. “Universities and schools are driving growth, with universities enrolling 31,345 international students, a 14% increase, and schools rising by 33% to 16,815 students, including 69% surge in primary school enrolments. Funded private training establishments also grew by 80% on last year. Diversity in source markets strengthens our education sector. While China and India lead, enrolments have grown from the US, Thailand, Germany, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines, each now contribute 3% of international students.”

For additional background, please see:

• “New Zealand: International student enrolments up 67% in 2023 amid growing public support“
• “New Zealand resource aims to connect prospective international students with qualified agents“

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