Schools have told RNZ the sudden growth has put pressure on classroom space and their ability to support English-language learners. Photo: RNZ/ Nick Monro
Immigration New Zealand granted study visas to a record 19,860 children of foreign workers in the past financial year.
About 13,000 were for children studying at primary or intermediate schools.
The number of study visas granted to the dependents of work visa-holders has jumped sharply, from fewer than 10,000-a-year prior to the start of the pandemic in 2020 to nearly 17,000 in 2022-23 and almost 20,000 in 2023-24.
Schools have told RNZ the sudden growth has put pressure on classroom space and their ability to support English-language learners.
Immigration figures showed 4247 of last year's visas were for secondary school students, and about 2600 did not specify a level of schooling.
It said dependents' study visas were usually valid for the same period as their caregiver's work visa. Work visas were valid for 12 months for lower-skilled workers, up to three years for mid-skilled workers, and five years for higher-skilled workers.
Meanwhile, Immigration NZ approved study visas for 22,652 fee-paying foreign students and 4874 English-language students in 2023-24.
The figures showed 5784 of the fee-paying student visas were for school students and 9305 for university students.
A further 2920 visas were for students enrolled with polytechnics and 4176 for students at private training providers.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.