Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway signals more private education firms using offshore agencies to recruit international students may close as a result of the changes he is proposing.

The Government's first immigration policy proposal hopes to kill the business of private education firms recruiting international students who want New Zealand residency.

Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway said his decision to change work rights for graduated international students was "absolutely" driven by the unethical behaviour of "poor quality" education firms and offshore agencies recruiting foreign students.

Some private training establishments (PTEs) and agencies were "in the business of providing people with a pathway to residency, rather than providing a high quality education", he said.

A number of FIlipino international students recruited to New Zealand by such agencies told Stuff they became depressed and contemplated suicide after they studied low-level courses and failed to find decent jobs and live here.

READ MORE:

* Govt proposes changes visa rights to crack down on migrant exploitation

* Filipino students duped, depressed by education promises

* Filipino agency's promises of NZ visas for students 'sickening', says migrant spokesman

Graduated international student Rex Velasco said Filipino agencies that were paid by New Zealand education firms to recruit students told Filipinos they would be granted residency in New Zealand after studying here. "It's all lies."

He paid an Auckland private education firm $17,000 to study a non-degree hospitality course after a staff member told him he would be granted a one-year post-study work visa after he graduated.

DAVID WHITE/STUFF International student Rex Velasco says Filipino agencies tell students they will be granted residency in New Zealand if they study here.

However, his course did not meet post-study work visa eligibility criteria so he could not work in New Zealand like he was allegedly told he could.

Lees-Galloway said many low-level courses and the poor quality firms offering them had been shut down, which was "good".

He signalled more heads would roll in the industry. "We have got a huge amount of concern still. There is more work to be done in that area."

He sent firms and agencies a strong message. "We want to make it absolutely clear that we want people studying good quality courses, skills that we need in New Zealand and to study at a higher level, so that they can have good outcomes."

Phillipines-based immigration agency Pinoy Care Visa Center​ can under fire for what has been called "education trafficking" last month after it funded a Filipino news report suggesting studying in New Zealand would lead to permanent residency.

DAVID UNWIN/STUFF Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway announced changes to international students' post-study work visas on Saturday.

​Pinoy Care was one of 22 Filipino agencies known to Immigration New Zealand to be paid commission from education firms here to recruit international students.

Migrante Aotearoa chairman Mikee Santos said last month, the "scam" Filipino agencies sold to students there was "sickening".

Filipino students paid more than $2000 to agencies to secure a visa and a place at an education institute here, in the hope of gaining residency for them and their family members, he said.

"It's a paid hack. It makes me sick. It's education trafficking."

He welcomed the Government's proposed changes to international graduates' work rights announced on Saturday.

"It is high time for government to take action on education trafficking. Education agents and providers selling low-level courses at huge costs for international students must be stopped.

"We have had too many victims of these agents giving false and misleading information on student to resident pathway."

The changes included requiring students to study a non-degree - that's below level seven - course for at least two years before becoming eligible for a one-year post-study work visa.

It proposed they be automatically granted that visa after graduating, and a three-year post-study work visa granted to students who graduated from a degree.

The proposal included removing the 'employer assisted' requirement for post-study visas so a graduate's working rights were not tied to a single company.

The public could submit their opinion on the proposed changes from Tuesday to June 29. After submissions were considered, the changes would come into effect in August.