New Zealand Student Visa: Types, Application Process, Requirements & More

To submit documents online, you must first prepare and scan all your documents. Then convert all scanned documents to PDF format. Remember to scan your photo and upload it along with other documents.

The processing time for a New Zealand student visa is usually 63 calendar days, although this may be longer depending on the applicant’s condition. Therefore, we recommend that you apply for a student visa three months before the start date of your program.

In most cases, New Zealand student visa holders can also bring their family members to the country. Please note that dependents of New Zealand student visa holders are not allowed to work in the country.

New Zealand Student Visa: Requirements

The applicant for a New Zealand student visa must prepare and submit the following documents as part of their visa application process:

• The validity of your passport should be more than three months of your stay in New Zealand.
• You must complete a student visa application form called INZ 1012.
• You must pay the visa application fee and provide the receipt as part of your documents.
• You must have been accepted by a reputable university or institution in New Zealand before applying for a student visa.
• Student insurance receipt
• Photo of the applicant that must be the size of a passport photo
• A letter from your current educational institution
• You may have to meet the character and health requirements set by the New Zealand government.
• You must also provide your transcript, diploma, and previous degrees
• It may be necessary to provide language scores on tests such as TOEFL, IELTS, and GRE.

New Zealand Student Visa: Types

• Exchange student visa: If you live out of New Zealand and have been accepted into the student exchange scheme, you can apply for this visa. The validity of this permission depends on the program you are going to participate in, but the total validity is up to four years. Holders of this visa can study full time in this country.
• Fee-paying student visa: The holder of this visa can study full time in New Zealand, and its validity is up to four years. To be eligible for this permission, you need to pay the full cost of your program.
• Guardian of a student visitor visa: Legal guardians and parents of student visa holders can go to New Zealand to live with their children. The validity of this permission depends on the validity of your child’s student visa.
• Dependent child student visa: Children of student or work visa holders should apply for this visa so that they can study during their parents’ stay in New Zealand. These children can study like domestic students. In other words, the children do not need to pay tuition fees for primary and secondary education. The validity of this visa also depends on the validity of the parents’ visa.
• MFAT-funded NZ scholarship student visa: If your education is funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), you can apply for this visa and study full time in New Zealand. The validity of this visa is up to four years.
• Student and trainee work visa: If you need to work as a trainee as part of your education course, you can apply for this visa in New Zealand. Depending on your program, you may need an offer of practical work experience. The validity of this visa does not exceed 12 months.
• Vocational trainee student visa: This visa is issued to trainees who receive a scholarship from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
• Foreign government-supported student visa: If you have received a loan or scholarship from a foreign government to study, you can apply for this visa. The visa holder is allowed to study in New Zealand for more than three months under this visa. To obtain this permission, you must provide proof that you have paid the tuition fees using a loan or scholarship. The validity of Foreign Government Supported Student visa is up to four years.
• Pathway student visa: You can enroll in three consecutive programs under a single student visa. You first need a Pathway Student Visa offer with a Pathway education provider. You must also be able to pay your tuition fee. This visa is valid for up to five years. You can also work part-time for up to 20 hours a week.
• Trafficking victim student visa: Children who have fallen a victim to human trafficking can go to primary and secondary school in New Zealand. They must provide a New Zealand police certificate proving that they were victims of such a crime. Trafficking Victim Student Visa is valid for up to 12 months and is for children 17 years and younger.
• Child of refugee claimant student visa: This permit is for children whose parents are seeking protection status. Holders of these visas can study in primary and secondary school, as long as their parents’ status is decided by the government. The Child of refugee claimant student visa is valid for up to 4 years.
• Singapore Work exchange Programme visa: New Zealand young people between the ages of 18 and 30 can come to New Zealand under this visa and gain work experience in some fields. You must have at least NZ $ 2,250 to be eligible for this visa. This visa is valid for six months.
• Exchange student visa.

Let’s sum up…

In previous sections, we reviewed the New Zealand student visa application process, processing time, requirements, and other details. You can also learn about other visas in this country as well as ways to immigrate to other countries on the Visa Library website.

If you have experience in obtaining a New Zealand visa, let us know in the comments section. Conveying your experiences can help others make better decisions in their application process.

We are also looking forward to obtaining your constructive feedback and questions and will respond as soon as possible.