International children stuck in New Zealand because of Covid-19 will be treated as domestic students and allowed to go to local schools for remainder of 2020.
Education Minister Chris Hipkins said there was a number of children aged between five and 18 who have not been able to go to school due to their international status.
He said most of the children were here visiting New Zealand and their families could not afford international student fees.
"A number of these young people are from the Pacific Islands, along with other nations, and were visiting family when the pandemic made it difficult or impossible to get flights back home," Hipkins said.
"These children will have missed out on, in many cases, months of learning."
There are 1,540 children on visitor visas currently in New Zealand.
Hipkins said it was "doing the right thing for these families so their children can get their studies and development back on track".
"We expect the additional students to be spread around schools throughout New Zealand, with some concentration in cities such as Auckland and Wellington."
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