International students return through border exemption programme
The global pandemic of COVID-19 has severely disrupted the study plans of many international students at Ara and seen some students return to their home countries for the meantime
As of April, this year, the government announced a border exemption programme that would grant approximately 1,000 international students entry back into New Zealand in 2021. The students were required to book their own places in MIQ once they had their request for travel approved by the Ministry of Education (MoE).
Ara has been a supporter of this programme and has been working to identify students who fit the government criteria and to assist them in navigating the government processes required to return to New Zealand.
Ara has now welcomed back the first influx of students in this programme- thirteen international students from China who are now transitioning back into study at Ara across a range of areas, including Nursing, Engineering Technology, International Tourism & Hospitality Management, Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, Applied Management and Information & Communication Technologies.
The returning students pictured with Ara staff, including in centre right Ara’s acting chief executive, Darren Mitchell, and centre left Ara’s International Director Beth Knowles
While very grateful to be back, the students can attest that it wasn’t an easy journey as they had to go through MoE processes of nomination, student visa application, booking flights and securing a spot in MIQ.
Upon arrival the students were greeted by Ara’s International teams and Ara’s acting chief executive, Darren Mitchell, who gave each student an Ara gift bag.
Ara’s International Director Beth Knowles acknowledged the efforts and contributions made by the wider Ara community to bring these students back, in particular colleagues from the International Admissions Team, International Student Advisory Team, International Recruitment Team and all Academic departments.
Knowles says, “It is great to welcome our students back to complete their qualifications. We are conscious that there are still students waiting to return or to come and study and we are working with government to secure additional border exemptions”.
Ara wishes these thirteen students every success for their degree studies and look forward to welcoming more international students back to Ara, including seven other Chinese international students expected to return to Ara in February 2022.