New Zealand has been grappling with the issue of fraud with the student visa applications, forcing the government to order deportation of hundreds of Indian students this year.
While a newly formed political party by the Indian and Asian migrants feels the government is exploiting student visa category as it is sold as a pathway to residency, Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse told TVNZ that students should be clear that not all of them were going to gain residency.
“There are some expectations from students that they will be able to stay and gain residence. Overwhelmingly though it’s important to keep in mind that they will not gain residence,” he said.
“About 19 per cent of the students who graduate from our universities, Polytechs and PTEs have gone on to gain residence, and they’re part of that planning range.”
Mr. Woodhouse said he was concerned that education agents in India were misleading students about an immigration pathway that “simply doesn’t exist for many of them.”
“This is a challenge that not only New Zealand faces but many other countries that also have international education from India,” said Mr Woodhouse.
The issue of student deportation has become increasingly controversial in recent days with the Indian high commissioner voicing his support for the 150 odd
Indian students due to be deported. These students are facing deportation due to fraud in their student visa applications that they claim had no knowledge of.
