A Reddit post detailing the struggles of international students in New Zealand has ignited a wave of responses online, with many echoing concerns about the country’s limited job market, lack of institutional support, and bleak long-term prospects. While New Zealand’s scenic beauty is often romanticized, students say the reality behind the postcard landscapes tells a very different story.
Posted under r/Indians_StudyAbroad, user Perfect_Buddy_1644 laid out a detailed list of reasons why “New Zealand is not an ideal location for students.” Their central argument: despite the country’s serene appeal, international students are treated like “walking ATMs.”
“There is no support for international students… you are just a walking atm for them,” the post stated. The user accused universities of misleading students, citing examples such as the Master’s in Social Work, where students reportedly find out late into the program that they must complete an additional year of unpaid internships for full registration.
The post also flagged immigration issues. “Your level of qualification does not matter for PR because people with level 8-9 education were told to go into early childhood which is level 3-4 to be eligible for PR,” they noted.
Job opportunities, the user stressed, are slim. “Even the domestic students flock out of here because of the lack of opportunities,” they wrote. Citing a recent example, they said an entire major campus of Auckland University shut down last year due to lack of funding.
Healthcare was another issue. “You get no GP on your temporary student visa… you will find yourself waiting six hours in the emergency department.”
They also noted structural problems like the difficulty of obtaining a driver’s license due to understaffed testing centers, despite many jobs and internships requiring one.
On workplace bias, the post claimed, “A lot of Indians complain about lack of promotion or growth due to racism… graduated Indians with masters drive taxis while bachelors holders from London get the cusy corporates.”
Despite the criticisms, the user acknowledged New Zealand’s merits as a place to live and raise a family. “It is a spectacular country to raise kids in. But it is advisable to come on a job basis rather than a student.”
The post triggered responses from users who agreed strongly.
“New Zealand is also another nation that considers international students as cash cow like Australia… Yet they advertise themselves as best for study,” one commenter said.
Another user pointed to geographic and economic limitations: “NZ has a population of 5 million and is in an extremely isolated region… If even Canada is suffering so heavily under the current economic downturn, I can only imagine how dire the situation in Oceania is.”
Others noted that even native New Zealanders and Australians were moving abroad. “So many expatriate Kiwis and Aussies here in Canada lol,” one user commented.
The consensus across the thread was clear: for those hoping to build a career, New Zealand might not offer the growth, stability, or structure that many students expect.