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Choosing a Place to Study
Finding the right place to study is vitally important for students and their families and many New Zealand institutions welcome international students.
The majority of international students come to New Zealand to further their education and pay the full cost of their courses themselves, or receive help from family and others. They come to make the most of the variety of tertiary options on offer from New Zealand’s universities, polytechnics, institutes of technology, secondary schools and private training establishments.
International students who are meeting full tuition costs themselves may be accepted from any country. However international students may enrol only in courses that have been approved for international students by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA). The institution you apply to will be able to tell you whether a course is available to international students.
Australian citizens and permanent residents of Australia, along with students from the Cook Islands, Tokelau or Niue (who are New Zealand citizens), are eligible for enrolment in educational institutions under the same conditions as New Zealand students.
Fees
Fees are determined by the individual institution concerned. One year’s fees (or the total fee for courses of less than one year) must be paid before a visa will be issued or a permit extended if a further course is to be undertaken for students studying at tertiary level. An institution may refund some of the fees to a student who withdraws from a course. Students should read and understand the refund policy before enrolling.
Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students
All institutions enrolling international students on student permits are required to follow this code, which protects and promotes the welfare of international students. For more information on the code visit:
http://www.minedu.govt.nz/educationSectors/InternationalEducation/ForInternationalStudentsAndParents.aspx
Accommodation
A written guarantee of accommodation is required before a student visa can be granted. Some institutions may be able to arrange residential accommodation for students who are not staying with relatives or friends. However, you may wish to arrange accommodation for yourself. You should indicate whether or not you want assistance in finding accommodation when you apply to the institution.
Entry into Tertiary Study
Studying at a New Zealand secondary school does not mean you will be guaranteed an entitlement to enrol subsequently at a university, polytechnic, or college of education.
You have to also satisfy the academic and English language requirements for admission to tertiary institutions. Institutions are not obliged to accept international students; the decision to enrol an international student is left to the institution.
Students Applying From a New Zealand Secondary School for Entry to a Tertiary Institution
If you are applying for admission to a tertiary institution as a full-fee student and you are already attending a New Zealand school, you should apply directly to the institution of your choice. Application forms for universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and private or government training establishments should be obtained from the institutions concerned. School career centres should also have this information. Once you have been offered a place you must accept by the date specified on the notification letter from an institution. Acceptance must be accompanied by payment of the first year’s fees and, for courses of less than one year, the total fee. However an offer of a place does not necessarily guarantee the issuing of a student visa.
Students Applying From Overseas
If you want to study as a full-fee student at an educational institution in New Zealand you should consult the accredited New Zealand Government office in your country about available courses. Applications should be made either directly to educational institutions or through an agent or by contacting TradeNZ offices overseas.
The closing dates for applications to universities, polytechnics and colleges of education are available from prospectuses held at New Zealand Government Offices overseas, or you can visit the websites of the institutions.
How to Apply for a Student Visa From Overseas:
Step One:
Complete the ‘Application to Study in New Zealand’ (NZIS 1012) form available from New Zealand Immigration offices in New Zealand and overseas.
Step Two:
Along with your completed and signed application form, you will also need to provide all the information listed at the front of the application form and the correct application fee. If you do not submit the required information with your application it will not be able to be accepted for processing.
Step Three:
If you are overseas, your application must be made and approved before you are able to travel to New Zealand.
To be included with your application form:
1. General Requirements:
- Your passport or travel document (which must be valid to at least three months past the date you plan to leave New Zealand).
- A recent passport sized photograph.
2. Health Requirements:
- If you intend to be in New Zealand for more than six months, you may need to submit a ‘Temporary Entry X-Ray Certificate’ (NZIS 1096) to prove that you have been screened for tuberculosis (TB).
- If you intend to be in New Zealand for more than two years you must submit a ‘Medical and X-Ray Certificate’ (NZIS 1007).
Pregnant women and children under 11 years of age are not required to have an X-ray, unless a special report is required.
3. Character Requirements:
If you intend to be in New Zealand for more than two years and are aged 17 or over you must submit a Police Certificate from your country of citizenship (or satisfactory evidence that you have never lived in that country), and any country that you have lived in for five years or more since attaining the age of 17 years.
4. Financial Details:
- You must provide one of the following as evidence of your ability to support yourself in New Zealand:
- A completed ‘Financial Undertaking for a Student’ (NZIS 1014) form.
- Evidence of sufficient funds to support yourself for the period you will be studying (if you are studying in New Zealand for less than 36 weeks, you need to provide evidence of NZ$1000 per month. If you are intending to study in New Zealand for more than 36 weeks you need to provide evidence of NZ$10,000 per year, as well as sufficient funds to purchase an outward ticket); AND a guarantee of accommodation.
- If you are a student from Tonga or Samoa intending to study for any length of time you may supply a ‘Sponsorship Form for Visiting New Zealand’ (NZIS 1025).
5. Enrolment Details:
- An offer of a place at a New Zealand education or training institute.
- Evidence that you have paid, or are exempt from paying, the course fees.
If you already have a student permit or visa and are applying for a further student permit or visa, you must provide copies of the following:
- Evidence of previous study performance.
- Evidence of attendance (excluding tertiary) showing satisfactory progress.
Persons without Student Visas
If you are entering New Zealand on a visitor’s visa, under a visa abolition agreement, or as the dependant of a visitor, and wish to enrol in a course of tertiary study lasting three months or more, you must obtain a student permit. The requirements for the grant of a student permit are generally the same as those outlined above in the section on International Students Living Overseas. However if you only want to enrol in one course of tertiary study lasting less than three months you can do so on a visitors permit.
Procedures for Entry of Dependants into New Zealand
Your dependants, who may include a spouse, de facto spouse, fiancé, and children, may accompany you to New Zealand or join you later. They must apply for and meet the normal requirements for the type of visa requested (visitor, work, or student). School aged dependants will be required to pay full fees for enrolment in primary and secondary courses of study.
Transferring to Another Institution
If you wish to transfer to another course or institution, you must apply to the New Zealand Immigration Service to obtain a variation of conditions to your student permit, specifying the course and institution and, if appropriate, the extended validity of the permit.
Note: The New Zealand Immigration Service will revoke a student permit if an international student withdraws from a course of study at an institution.
Working While Studying
International students are not entitled to student loans or student allowances. Students from the Cook Islands, Tokelau and Niue (who are New Zealand citizens) will be entitled to loans and allowances. However, you cannot receive a Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade scholarship and a student allowance at the same time.
Some formal courses of study include a requirement to complete up to three years course related work experience. The training provider will try to help you find suitable employment. There is some flexibility on how this employment may be obtained, e.g. suitable post-education work or the possibility of doing the work experience in your home country (under qualified supervision).
Students undertaking a full-time diploma or degree course that takes at least two academic years to complete, and students undertaking a full-time course of study that would attract points under the General Skills category of Residence policy, may be allowed to work up to 15 hours per week.
To do this you must request a ‘Variation of Conditions’ to your study permit after beginning the course of study. Where a variation of conditions is requested in conjunction with the student permit or visa application, the fee for the variation of conditions may be waived.
If your student permit is for more than 12 months you may apply for a Variation of Conditions to work over the Christmas and New Year Holidays. No offer of employment is required. Where a variation of conditions is requested in conjunction with the student permit or visa application, the fee for the variation of conditions may be waived.
If you have completed a polytechnic or university qualification that has a minimum completion time of three years, you may apply for a work permit that allows you to work up to a maximum of two years. An offer of employment relevant to your qualifications is required.
Health
It is strongly recommended that all international students obtain medical insurance cover because most temporary students are not entitled to publicly funded health services while in New Zealand. A condition of your student visa is that you must have an adequate allowance and this should include coverage of medical costs.
Full-fee paying students from the United Kingdom and Australia are eligible for health benefits during courses of study if they meet the requirements of the reciprocal health agreements New Zealand has with their countries.
Further Student Visa Information
The New Zealand Immigration Service will issue a visa or permit to an international student for the period for which the student has paid the course fees, up to a maximum of four years.
- A permit renewal fee is payable.
- Student visas include options for single and multiple entries.
- A single entry is usually enough for a course lasting less than six months. If you plan to make trips in and out of the country, you need to request a multiple entry visa.
- If you wish to extend the course of study for a longer period of time, then you must apply to renew the permit and pay a permit renewal fee.
- There may be additional charges or changes to permits once they have been issued. Please check with the New Zealand Immigration Service
Additional information about student visas may be obtained from your local New Zealand Government office or New Zealand Immigration Service office overseas. (See next page)
If you are in New Zealand you can get information about student permits from New Zealand Immigration Service offices located in Auckland, Manukau, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.
For further information on applying to study in New Zealand and an online application form visit the New Zealand Immigration service website at: http://www.immigration.govt.nz/Study
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