Whether you are looking into primary, secondary, or tertiary study, New Zealand has an excellent education system with plenty of opportunity. If you are wanting to study in New Zealand for longer than 3 months you will need to apply for a student visa.
Currently the student visas that are available in New Zealand include:
The most common student visa is the Fee Paying Student Visa. You can apply for this visa if you wish to study in New Zealand full time and can cover the full cost of your courses. You can study full time at school, tertiary institution, or English language school, as per what is set out on your visa. On this visa, you are also able to take on part-time work of up 20 hours a week and full-time up to 40 hours during the holidays. On this visa you can stay in New Zealand for up to 4 years, however the visa will usually be issued for the same length of time as the study you are enrolled for. You can also apply for this visa if you are distance learning outside of New Zealand and need to visit the country for more than 3 months as a requirement of the course, such as to sit exams.
If you live in a country that has an education agreement with New Zealand, you may be eligible to apply for the Foreign Government Supported Visa. This student visa is available to those who receive loans or scholarships from their government and will allow you to stay while studying in New Zealand for up to 4 years. On this visa you are also able to work part-time up to 20 hours during the study year and full time over the holidays.
If you have been accepted into an approved student exchange programme, you can apply for the Exchange Student Visa to study in New Zealand for up to 4 years. Student exchange programmes can include sister school exchanges, exchanges organised by exchange school programme organisations, and tertiary exchanges. You can only apply for this visa if you are outside of New Zealand, however when you study in New Zealand on an exchange you are considered to be a ‘domestic student’ and so you will not have to pay tuition fees. On this visa you are also able to work part time during your study and full time during the holidays.
The Pathway Student Visa enables you to study up to 3 courses one after the other, on a single student visa. To apply for this visa you must have an offer from an acceptable institution to study and funds to cover your tuition fees. On this visa you can stay in New Zealand for up to 5 years, as the visa is long enough to allow you enough time to complete your qualification. To undertake the second and third courses on your study pathway you will need to meet the prerequisites for each course.
To qualify for a student visa you will need to meet the additional requirements of the visa including being of good health, good character, and having an offer of place from an approved education provider in New Zealand. There are financial requirements to meet if your application requires a sponsor or a financial undertaking as well.
You can apply to extend your student visa as long as you can provide evidence that you are passing your courses and meeting the attendance requirements.
There are many types of student visas available. If you are interested in studying in New Zealand get in touch with us today and we can help you determine which visa best suits your situation.
Senior Associate
Solicitor
