Temporary migration and urban incorporation: post-study work visa holders in Auckland

Abstract

In New Zealand, an increasing number of international students are staying to work and live once they have graduated. Attracting and retaining international students is part of current government policy, which seeks to increase the number of university graduates transitioning to permanent residency and to double the value of international education to $5 billion. However, there has been a significant amount of media coverage relating to workplace exploitation and the debt international students have incurred in order to study in New Zealand. This thesis examines the experiences of those on Post-study work visas in Auckland looking specifically at the role social networks, features of urban life and various actors have on international graduates’ urban incorporation. It draws together two ways of examining migration, Glick Schiller and Çağlar’s (2009) concept of “urban incorporation” and Xiang and Lindquist’s (2014) concept of “migration infrastructure”. These two theoretical concepts provide the foundation for analysing the 20 semi-structured interviews that were conducted. The findings identify three modes of urban incorporation among Post-study visa holders: social, economic and everyday life urban incorporation. These three modes of urban incorporation facilitate the experiences these individuals have in Auckland and the economic opportunities they can access. Through using “migration infrastructure” (Xiang and Lindquist, 2014), the thesis examines how various actors, such as education providers and social contacts, influence the experiences, opportunities and urban incorporation of graduates to reveal how their migration experiences are mediated. This thesis therefore seeks to expand on Glick Schiller and Çağlar’s (2009) concept of “urban incorporation” by suggesting that there are varying qualities of urban incorporation, with graduates who are a part of an ethnic community experiencing the three modes of urban incorporation in different ways. This thesis also suggests that government regulation shapes the aspirations and urban experiences Post-study work visa holders have, as international students either come here to see how things will turn out or come with the intention of gaining permanent residency. In doing so, this thesis demonstrates how the temporary status of these individuals facilitates the experiences of these individuals and their urban incorporation into Auckland. Key Words: Temporary migration, urban incorporation, New Zealand