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New Zealand to begin opening up to vaccinated foreign nationals from 30 April 2022
COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says New Zealand will be removing the requirement to go into managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) for most travellers in stages, but they will have to self-isolate for seven days, with pre-departure and post-arrival testing.
Travellers will be able to enter New Zealand without going into MIQ in three steps:
- Step 1 – opening to fully vaccinated New Zealand citizens and those residence-class visa holders and other travellers eligible under our current border settings, from Australia, from 11.59 pm on Sunday 16 January 2022, provided they have been in Australia or New Zealand for the past 14 days.
- Step 2 – opening to fully vaccinated New Zealand citizens and those residence-class visa holders and other travellers eligible under our current border settings, from all but Very High-Risk countries, from 11.59 pm on Sunday 13 February 2022.
- Step 3 – opening to fully vaccinated foreign nationals, possibly staged by visa category, from Saturday 30 April 2022 onwards.
The Very High-Risk classification for Indonesia, Fiji, India, Pakistan and Brazil will be removed in early December 2021 and travellers from these countries will be able to enter New Zealand on the same basis as travellers from most other countries. Papua New Guinea will continue to be classified as Very High-Risk.
The three steps are a medium risk pathway. Those who do not meet the requirements for a medium risk pathway, but are still permitted to enter New Zealand under current border settings, will continue to enter MIQ upon arrival under the new regime of seven days in managed isolation, followed by three days of home isolation. This will include those who do not meet vaccination requirements, including unvaccinated New Zealand citizens and those from Very High-Risk countries.
All travellers not required to go into MIQ will still require:
- a negative pre-departure test
- proof of being fully vaccinated
- a passenger declaration about travel history
- a day 0/1 test on arrival
- a requirement to self-isolate for seven days, and
- a final negative test before entering the community.
“It’s very encouraging that as a country we are now in a position to move towards greater normality,” Minister Chris Hipkins said.
“We always said we’d open in a controlled way, and this started with halving the time spent in MIQ to seven days. Retaining a seven-day isolate at home period for fully vaccinated travellers is an important phase in the reconnecting strategy to provide continued safety assurance.
“These settings will continue to be reviewed against the risk posed by travellers entering New Zealand,” he said.
“There continues to be a global pandemic with cases surging in Europe and other parts of the world, so we do need to be very careful when reopening the border.”
Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao Chief Executive Grant McPherson has welcomed the New Zealand Government’s move towards opening the borders to international students.
“This news is a great boost for the international education sector. We will keep education providers and international students up to date as we learn more on the detail of how the changes will work,” he said.
The New Zealand Government will release further details on how self-isolation will be implemented in December 2021. There will be guidance on how people can travel from their arrival airport to their location of self-isolation and requirements for the places where they can self-isolate.
For more information, read the media release from COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins – Reconnecting New Zealand – the next steps.
For the latest official New Zealand Government information and advice, go to covid19.govt.nz
- Keewha
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Wellington awards recognise inspiring students
This year’s awardees came from intermediate, secondary and tertiary levels, and included the founder of a bilingual tutoring programme for international students, the founder of the Asian English-Speaking Club at Victoria University of Wellington and the official pianist at the 44th International Viola Congress.
They were selected for a range of achievements from academic excellence, community engagement, to leadership and sport, with each winner receiving a trophy, certificate and tickets to a Wellington experience.
MP Paul Eagle, WREDA CEO Lance Walker and WREDA’s Talent, Skills and Education Manager, Brook Pannell, were on hand at the ceremony, alongside a group from Wainuiomata High School and Kuranui College who performed Kapa Haka for the guests.
Brook said he was thrilled to be on hand at the ceremony to acknowledge the achievements made by some of Wellington’s young talent.
“International students make a powerful impact in their communities, and these awards reflect the great contributions they make in Wellington.
“It’s a unique, modern and compact city where international students can feel at home, gain life skills in a safe city, and make friends.”
Chinese international student Benjamin Lin, 18, received a Leadership Award for his achievements. As the youngest ‘authorised’ writer in his home country, he’s published two books and opened a writing school to raise money to study at Wellington High School.
“Thanks to my father I loved reading and writing. My teacher at the time encouraged me to publish some of my poetry when I was around 10 in the form of a book. People really liked my work and it gave me the confidence to keep going,” says Benjamin.
In 2015, Benjamin decided to progress his education in Wellington, and settled on Wellington High School. He funded his international study by tutoring students in writing.
“I wanted to come to Wellington because it’s a smaller, modern city where I could improve my English.
“In Wellington, I’ve appreciated having more time with my teachers and working on my English,” says Benjamin.
Award winners:
Academic excellence
- Nam-Phuong Ho, Victoria University of Wellington (Viet Nam)
- Yukiko Kuboshima, Victoria University of Wellington (Japan)
- Khoi Nguyen, Te Aro School (Viet Nam)
- Zihan Wang, Wellington Girls’ College (China)
Alumni
- Zilong Li, WelTec (China)
Community engagement
- Hanna Aulia, Victoria University of Wellington (Indonesia)
- Ashley Cao, Victoria University of Wellington (Viet Nam)
Creativity
- Gabriela Glapska, New Zealand School of Music (Poland)
Leadership
- Benjamin Yin, Wellington High School (China)
- Simran Bechan, Samuel Marsden Collegiate (Fiji)
- Nur Natasha Faziera Mohd Fadzil, Victoria University of Wellington (Malaysia)
Sports
- Mohammad Zahirul Amin Mohd Azam, Victoria University of Wellington (Malaysia)
Internationalisation
- Samuel Mathew, Wellington College (New Zealand)
- Jordan Anderson, Victoria University of Wellington (New Zealand)
Internationalisation Employer Award
- InterContinental Hotel Group
Click here for full details of the winners.
The awards were developed as part of WREDA’s Wellington International Student Growth Programme (WISGP), which aims to double the number of international students arriving in Wellington by 2025, enhance the student experience and build pathways to employment in Wellington.
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Around the world in five
CHINA
China to establish first nuclear research university
The China National Nuclear Corporation is set to build a nuclear technology university in Tianjin province which will function as a base for skills training, postgraduate and PhD programmes.
IRELAND
Higher health insurance costs threaten international students
An ongoing High Court case might require international students in Ireland to hold expensive health insurance to remain eligible for their student visa. This financial strain could even deter some students.
UK
International students focus of new parliamentary inquiry
A British parliamentary committee has launched an inquiry to answer questions over the sustainable future for international students of all levels in the UK.
CANADA
Ontario releases international education strategy for postsecondary education
Ontario’s international postsecondary education strategy 2018 has a focus on educating global citizens by providing students with increased opportunities to develop global competencies.
SAUDI ARABIA
Plans to forge STEM research links with UK institutions
A Ministry of Education delegation, including public universities, is visiting the UK to explore research and development partnership opportunities, with a focus on STEM subjects.
- sitchinaweek
- Latin American famil 830
- Grant McPherson photo edit7
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Diwali celebrations light up New Zealand campuses
It was a wonderful week of Diwali across New Zealand campuses as students and education institutions came together to celebrate the festival of lights.
AUT lights up for Diwali
The sights, sounds and colours of Diwali were on full display at AUT’s recent Diwali Festival.
With the largest cohort of international students from India in New Zealand, AUT’s Diwali Festival celebrated the incredible contribution Indian students make to life at AUT.
Pro Vice-Chancellor International, Professor Guy Littlefair, said the event enriches their campus culture and showcases the university’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.
“Our incredible Diwali event was a wonderful opportunity for our entire university to celebrate our Indian students and the richness and joy of Indian culture,” Professor Littlefair said.
“We are proud of our growing reputation throughout India for our wide range and quality of study programmes, for being the university of technology in New Zealand, and for our great student support, accessibility to academic staff, employability, and student success.
“India is an extraordinarily important partner country to us, but more importantly our Indian students are an extremely valued part of our AUT family and the unique perspective and rich culture they bring to us are treasured by all our staff and students.”
Students lead Diwali celebrations at Wintec | Te Pūkenga
Diwali 2023 performers, organisers, volunteers, and audience all enjoyed the celebrations at Wintec | Te Pūkenga City Campus, including International Student Services Advisors, Unmesha Veetil (far left) and Li Li (front row with orange sari).
This year, the Diwali celebrations at Wintec | Te Pūkenga City and Rotokauri campuses were completely ākonga (student)-led, making them even more special than usual. Although facilitated by the International Student Support team, the events were entirely hosted by ākonga, from the MCs to all the entertainment.
Unmesha Veetil, International Student Services Advisor, said the events were vibrant and high energy and a real testament to the students.
“The MCs did a great job of engaging the audience and getting them singing along, the dance performances and magic tricks were stunning and there were even talented students doing henna designs. On the request of the audience there was a final open dance floor which got many from the audience dancing too and proved lots of fun.”
A crowd enjoying a Diwali dance performance at Wintec | Te Pūkenga
The true spirit of the festival was also on full display as a diverse, multicultural communities organised the festivities with much generosity and kaitiakitanga.
Members of the Chinese Postgraduate Society who volunteered as ecowarriors for the Auckland Diwali Festival.
The Chinese Postgraduate Society volunteered for the Auckland Diwali Festival as eco warriors, helping make the celebration as eco-friendly as possible.
“It was a great experience for us to immerse in a different culture and make valuable contributions,” Wilson Pan, President of the Chinese Postgraduate Society said. -
International students welcomed across New Zealand
In February, hundreds of international students gathered at a University of Auckland orientation event. ENZ’s Student Experience Manager, Ross Crosson, says, “The wait, for many, has been long but there was a very positive vibe in the air.”
In Hamilton, the Wintec | Te Pūkenga International student services team held an interactive event to welcome students on campus. They used a range of activities to create connections amongst the students and to familiarise them with student support services available.
Over in Wellington, Victoria University of Wellington Vice Chancellor Nic Smith took the opportunity to connect with students face-to-face as they were settling into halls of residence.
More than 150 international students from 11 local secondary schools were welcomed into Dunedin at Puketeraki Marae on 8 March. In the event organised by Enterprise Dunedin and Kāti Huirapa Rūnaka ki Puketeraki, the guests spent the morning at the pōwhiri, which was accompanied by pupils from Waitati School kapa haka group, and then enjoyed a kōrero and some kai.
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Measles outbreak: information for international students
There is currently an outbreak of measles in New Zealand.
We encourage you to stay up-to-date with the latest advice and information on the measles outbreak by visiting the Ministry of Health’s website here.
Measles is a highly infectious airborne virus and one of the world’s most infectious diseases. It is important that international students get vaccinated at least two weeks before travelling to New Zealand. This allows time for the vaccine to build immunity.
For international students who are currently in New Zealand, it is important to know your vaccination status to know if you are immune. If you do not know your vaccination status, you may wish to ask someone at home to check with your healthcare provider.
It is extremely important to be up-to-date with measles immunisations. This protects the student, their community and anyone they may come into contact with – particularly small babies, pregnant women and others who cannot be vaccinated
One dose of MMR vaccine protects about 95 percent of people, and two doses protects about 99 percent of people. Two doses are necessary to prevent outbreaks.
It is important to note that the Ministry of Health is working closely with District Health Boards in New Zealand to manage the distribution of vaccine stock to ensure they are available to those who need them most. This means that first priority for MMR vaccinations is currently:
Auckland
- Ensuring all children receive their MMR vaccinations on time at 12 months and 4 years to maintain the national Childhood Immunisation Schedule
- Targeted community outreach managed by the three Auckland DHBs, namely groups who are most affected by the outbreak including 15-29 year olds and Pacific peoples within those groups.
Rest of New Zealand
- Ensure all children receive their vaccinations on time at 15 months and 4 years to maintain the national Childhood Immunisation Schedule
- Susceptible close contacts within 72 hours of first exposure to measles when possible.
Symptoms
Symptoms of measles include: a fever; cough; runny nose; sore and watery ‘pink’ eyes and a rash. People are contagious five days before and five days after the appearance of the rash, counting the day of rash onset as day one.
Advice if someone thinks they have measles:
- Stay away from work, school or public places
- Call Healthline on 0800 611 116, to inform them that you are experiencing symptoms of measles and that you may have come into contact with a measles case
- Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing and wash your hands frequently
- Minimise your contact with others to prevent infecting them
- Students should also make sure other people e.g. flatmates, friends, homestay families or hostel staff are aware they are unwell, so they can assist if needed.
Who shouldn’t get the vaccine?
You shouldn’t get immunised against measles if you:
- Are pregnant
- Have had an anaphylaxis reaction to MMR or are immunocompromised.
If a student thinks they have been exposed to measles and is unable to have the vaccine, they need to ask a doctor for advice.
Pregnant women who think they have measles, or have come in contact with someone with measles, must call their general practice or lead maternity carer as soon as possible. Pregnant women who were immunised against measles prior to becoming pregnant, are almost certainly protected.
More information
All international students must have medical insurance while they are in New Zealand. To find out more about healthcare in New Zealand for international students, go to NauMai NZ.
