Article Author: Yixin Hu, Jinal Mehta, Sandesha Perera, Tim Fadgen

In Aotearoa New Zealand, international students constitute a special migrant class at the nexus of tertiary education and migration neo-liberalisation. Unlike temporary labour migrants, international students are consumers who pay fees to tertiary institutions for a qualification. Yet, compared to their domestic peers, they face unique challenges of bearing a greater financial burden, often struggling with social inclusion, and facing barriers to stable postgraduate employment. We argue that this unique position of international students requires special obligations from the government. This article combines policy research into Aotearoa New Zealand's international student policy context with an autoethnography of the authors' experiences as international and domestic students. We recommend policy adjustments to address international student needs before, during, and after their studies.

Keywords: International Students; Immigration Policy; Social Inclusion; New Zealand

Article Review Status: Published

Pages: 20 - 24

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