International Student Association of Auckland marketing manager Violet Xu says international students sacrifice a lot to come to New Zealand and should keep their work rights.

Hundreds of international students worry looming Government policy to restrict their post-study work opportunities will label them as "criminals".

International Students Association of Auckland (ISAA) marketing manager and University of Auckland food science student Violet Xu said international students sacrificed a lot to come to New Zealand and restricting their work opportunities afterward was "unfair".

"It seems the Government is shutting us out. We're here to make this a better place. We're not criminals."

DAVID UNWIN/STUFF Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway says the Government will not allow education to be used as a "backdoor to residency".

The association's 500 members and Xu's international student friends, were worried about the possible introduction of a policy to tighten post-study work visas, she said.

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No policy had been formally announced, but the Labour Party campaigned on it last year.

Currently international students are eligible for a one-year open post-study work visa after they graduate.

But in June, then-Labour leader Andrew Little said removing work rights for international students graduated from lower than bachelor-level qualifications would stop students using education as a pathway to residency.

Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway said the Government would not allow education to be used as a "backdoor to residency," and he was preparing policy proposals on the issue.

A Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) report to Lees-Galloway said such a policy would cut the number of international students coming to New Zealand by about 7000 to 10,000.

Responding to a question from National spokesman Michael Woodhouse in Parliament this week, Lees-Galloway said reducing net migration by up to 30,000 people a year was an estimation of the impact of new policy, not a target to reach.

Immigration New Zealand granted 12,474 open post-study work visas last year, and declined 210.

Another 7,262 employer assisted post-study work visas were granted.

In March, 3,228 open post-study work visas were granted to international students, 2000 more than were granted one month earlier in February.

Immigration area manager Stephanie Greathead​ said it was not unusual to see a spike in applications in the month of March.

"This is because if a student's programme of study is based on the New Zealand academic year, they are usually granted a student visa with an expiry of March 31 of the following year."

Xu said less than half of the international students she knew wanted a post-study work visa. She was one of them.

"I was hoping I would be able to earn a living and stay in New Zealand and move her [my mother] over."

The post-study work visa already had its limitations, she said.

Most graduate roles with large, reputable companies, were two years long, so graduated international students were ruled out as candidates, she said.

She hoped any further limitations to her opportunity to work in New Zealand would be introduced after she graduated at the end of this year.

"I am quite worried. I feel very frustrated. I hope the Government will give us a chance."