At April 1 this year, 1231 full-time equivalent (efts) students paying full international fees had been enrolled, 38 efts, or 3.1%, lower than budgeted for the whole of 2009, pro-vice-chancellor (international) Prof Sarah Todd said this week.
That figure was expected to remain static or increase during the second semester.
First-year enrolments were up 27.6%, or 46 efts, on the corresponding time last year, while there had also been a "modest" recovery of 30 students, or 15 efts, in single-semester recruitment from North America.
"In respect of international full fee-paying efts, we are running in line with forecast overall, with a solid recovery in commencing enrolments that should lay the platform for an overall recovery in international efts next year and beyond," Prof Todd said.
The top four countries of origin for full fee-paying international students had remained constant for several years - North America, China, Malaysia and Germany.
In additional to international students who paid full fees, there were more than 510 additional international students (420 efts) who paid the same fees as New Zealand-born students, Prof Todd said.
They were PhD students who have been charged the New Zealand fee rate since a change of New Zealand government policy in 2006, and undergraduate and postgraduate exchange students from universities with reciprocal fee agreements with Otago.
Figures indicated an overall headcount of 2270 international students from more than 90 countries on campus this semester.
Most New Zealand tertiary institutions and secondary schools have experienced large declines in overseas student numbers over the past four years, mainly because of a substantial drop in the number of Chinese students choosing to study here.
But Immigration Service student visa statistics show this trend may now be reversing.
In 2005, 68,814 student visa were issued throughout New Zealand, dropping to 62,855 in 2006 and 61,360 in 2007.
However, the number of visas issued climbed by 3488 last year to 64,848.
Visas issued for the first two months of this year are also encouraging.
The total of 26,684 is 1155 more than the corresponding period last year and 1545 more than in January and February 2007.
Asked why first-year international enrolments had increased at Otago this year, Prof Todd attributed it to the lower New Zealand dollar and increased marketing.
Making predictions about future international enrolment trends was "pretty difficult" she said, given the global economic crisis and other issues which affected students' willingness and ability to travel.
