New Zealand student visa is for students who have been accepted for full-time courses by an approved education provider in New Zealand. New Zealand has become a popular choice of international students looking for high quality education in natural environment. Universities, polytechnics, colleges of New Zealand provide academic, professional and vocational courses. New Zealand has about 8 national universities offering a variety of subjects in commerce, science and arts. Specialist subjects are offered at each university.

In New Zealand, if you want to study full time at the course stated on your visa – this includes schools, universities, polytechnics or other educational providers. There are different visa options for student visa which depends on the type and duration of the study course for which you apply. The student visa types are:

• Fee Paying Student Visa
• Pathway Student Visa
• Exchange Student Visa
• New Zealand student visa
• Foreign government student visa
• Occupational registration visitor visa

Below section covers details about student visa procedure for fees paying student. In case you find any difficulty in understanding eligibility criteria, visa category, and documentation requirement; please Contact Us we will be thrilled to help you.

Benefits of applying for New Zealand student visa:

With this visa you can:

• Study full time at that course for which your student visa is approved.
• Work part time up to 20 hours a week while studying or full time in the holidays, depending on your visa conditions.
• You can apply for partner or children with you, they can apply for visas based on their relationship with you
• Live by yourself above certain age, otherwise you will need to come with your parent or legal guardian.

Eligibility Criteria for the Applicants:

• Satisfying the Genuine Temporary Entrant requirement:
  • GTE requirements provide a useful way to help identify those applicants who are using the student visa programmed for motives other than gaining a quality education. While assessing your application the Australian immigration authority assess your circumstances, your immigration history, if you are less than 18 years old, the intention of your parent, legal guardian or partner, any other relevant matter.

• Enrollment in a registered course of study:
  • With limited exceptions, you must be enrolled in a course of study that is registered on the Commonwealth Register of Instruction and courses for Overseas for Overseas students (CRICOS). If you are applying from outside New Zealand, you must include Confirmation of Enrollment for each intended course of study with your visa application.

• Financial capacity and English language proficiency:
  • If you apply for study visa, it is very critical that you have genuinely enough money available to pay for your course fees, travel and living costs for you and your accompanying family members. You would need to support your application with the documentary evidence of sufficiency of balance.

• Health and character:
  • You are required to undergo health assessment which might take several months to complete. You can choose to undertake the examinations prior to lodging your visa applications to avoid delays. It is also required to submit a police certificate to meet the character requirements of New Zealand government. The immigration department wants to ensure that people immigrating to New Zealand have a good character.

• Health insurance:
  • If you are applying for study visa in New Zealand, you must have adequate health insurance while in New Zealand. Students can obtain health insurance from Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC).

• Age requirements for school students:
  • If you are a minor (under 18 years of age), you need to have welfare arrangements in place while you are in Australia. To demonstrate welfare arrangements, students can be accompanied by parents or legal custodian, a suitable relative or student’s education provider can provide accommodation, support and general welfare.

Checklist of documents for Student Visa of New Zealand for Indian Students:

• Identity:
  • You need to submit original identity documents in case you are applying for permanent residence.
  • A passport that must be valid for at least 3 months after you plan to leave New Zealand

• Health:
  • You are required to undergo a medical examination as proof of your fitness and submit a health certificate.

• Character:
  • To apply for New Zealand study visa you are required to submit Police Certificates. You must provide Police Certificate from:
  • Your country of Citizenship
  • any other country where you have spent 12 months or more over the last 10 years (these 12 months may not have been spent all in one month’s)

• English Language:
  • When you are applying for study visa in New Zealand, you would be required to submit an evidence of proficiency in English Language.

• Evidence you are a citizen of Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom (UK) or the United States Of America(USA), and you have spent at least five years working or studying un those countries, or in Australia or New Zealand.
• Evidence you have a recognized qualification that’s comparable to a post graduate New Zealand qualification which you gained in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, the UK, or the USA. You must have studied for at least one year in any of those countries to get that qualification.

• Offer of Place:
  • If you want to apply for student visa of New Zealand, you need to submit confirmation of enrollment.

• Sufficiency of Funds:
  • You need to submit the following evidence to ensure that you have sufficient funds to study for a full time course in New Zealand. You must submit a proof that you have NZ$ 15,000 for a full year of study
  • Documents that show you have sufficient funds to support your education along with the accommodation, flooding expenses during the time you are pursuing your course.
  • You need to submit a completed ‘Financial undertaking for a student form
  • If you are getting your expenses sponsored, you need to meet sponsorship requirements
  • You must have a ticket to leave New Zealand or be sponsored for the cost of your onward travel
  • If you are aged 9 or younger you must be accompanied by your parent or legal guardian unless you will live in an NZQA approved school hostel.

• Permission to Work:
  • If you want to work in New Zeeland while studying you must have prior permission if you are aged below 18 years.
  • If you have permission you can work 20 hours a week and / or full time in the summer holidays.
  • Full time Vacations work right: If you are allowed to work full time during holidays you must have the following proofs:
  • you can work during scheduled holidays by your approved education provider as shown in your offer place document
  • your course value is 120 credits

• Practical experience:
  • If you are required to do practical work experience as part of your course, you must provide evidence that it’s a course requirement

Processing time for Student Visa of New Zealand:

According to New Zealand Government immigration website, the average processing time for applications filed under Fees paying student visa category is around 1-2 months. But, every case file is unique and requires a fair amount of time for its evaluation. You can track your application online on the department website to know the application status.

Obligations for Student Visa of New Zealand:

• Entry permission:
  • You must apply for entry permission when you arrive in New Zealand. You can do this by completing an arrival card, which you’ll be given on the way to New Zealand.
  • You can be refused entry permission if:
    • You don’t meet character requirements
    • Your circumstances have changed since you were granted a visa
    • You refuse to let the immigration authority take your photo or fingerprints or an iris scan, if asked for them
  • Travel
    • If you want to travel in and out of New Zealand, you must have valid multiple entry travel conditions to return to New Zealand.

• Onward travel:
  • During the validity period of your visa, you must have a travel ticket or funds available to buy a ticket to a country you can enter.

• Funds or sponsorship:
  • You must have enough money held in New Zealand to support yourself during your stay. If you are sponsored, your sponsor must ensure your needs for maintenance is met while you are in New Zealand.

• Work related obligations:
  • You may be allowed to work part time for up to 20 hours a week and full time during all scheduled holidays and or during the Christmas and New Year holiday period. you need to abide by the following restrictions:
  • If you are working with a New Zealand employer, you must pay tax on your earnings.
  • You may be able to apply for a variation of conditions to allow you to work part time between the hours of 9:30am and 2:30pm Monday to Friday.

• Parent or Legal Guardian:
  • If you are required to be accompanied, your parent or legal guardian must live with you while you are studying and parents have to accompany you.

• Attendance and Progress:
  • If you are studying in New Zealand it’s very important to ensure you study full time course and attend your course at the approved education provider noted on your visa, unless you have a reasonable excuse for absences.

• Visa Expiry:
  • You must leave New Zealand before your visa expires. You can be granted visa for the duration of holding a valid passport.