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New Zealand is one of the countries that has several student visas. Pathway Student Visa is one of the New Zealand student visas that offers many benefits to international students. Holders of this visa can study three consecutive courses under one visa. Also, the validity of this visa is up to 5 years.

Here are the requirements for a Pathway Student Visa, the application process, work and travel permits, fees to be paid,  medical insurance, and other details.

What is a Pathway Student Visa?

You can apply for three consecutive courses under one visa. To do this, you must obtain a Pathway Student Visa. To get this visa, you must:

  • Have a Pathway Student Visa offer of place with a Pathway education provider
  • Pay tuition fees
What is a Pathway Student Visa? What are the Pathway Student Visa requirements?

The validity of this permit is five years. The visa holder can study each course one after the other.

You, as a visa holder, can work up to 20 hours per week. You can also work full time on vacation, depending on your course of study.

Note that you cannot include your children and partner on this visa. They must apply for the appropriate visa based on their relationship with you.

To be able to stay in New Zealand under the Pathway Student Visa, you must be able to meet the prerequisites for the second and third courses.

What are the Pathway Student Visa requirements?

If you want to qualify for a Pathway Student visa, you must consider the following:

  • If you are applying for this visa online, you must submit one photo, and if you are using a paper application, you must submit two photos.
  • Anyone who intends to apply for a New Zealand visa must present a valid passport with a certified copy.
  • In order to prove your good health, you have to do some medical examinations and chest x-ray. However, chest x-rays are necessary if a person intends to stay in New Zealand for more than 12 months.
  • Individuals over the age of 17 who intend to stay in New Zealand for more than 24 months must present a police certificate. For information on how to get the police certificate, visit the New Zealand Immigration website. On this website, you can get the necessary instructions based on entering your country’s nationality and name.
  • To be eligible for a Pathway Student visa, you must have an offer from a pathway education provider. Your Pathway education provider must provide a letter stating the following:
  • It determines the courses that make up your study.
  • The start and end dates of your course of study are specified in your letter.
  • Your Pathway Student offer must include the following:
  • The name of the course and its duration
  • It must be specified that you are studying part-time, full-time, online, or correspondence students.
  • If your course lasts more than an academic year, you must specify the date of all scheduled vacations.
  • If you are under 18, you need to indicate that your accommodation is in accordance with the Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students.

If you have more than one Pathway education provider, you must provide a separate offer of place from each provider.

  • You need to have enough funds to pay the tuition fee unless you are exempt. Therefore, you should consider the following:
  • You must pay for the first course or the first academic year (whichever is shorter)
  • You must provide proof of your savings to show that you can pay the tuition fee.
  • You must provide a letter from the Pathway education provider stating whether you have paid your tuition.
  • If you have received a loan from your home government, you must provide proof of that.
  • If tuition is to be paid by New Zealand Aid, your education provider must confirm it.
  • If you are exempt from paying tuition fee, you must provide the relevant documents in this regard.
  • You must also demonstrate that you can pay your tuition for future years. For this purpose, you can provide documents such as family income.

If you apply for a visa outside of New Zealand, you do not need to provide proof of payment until your application has been approved.

  • You need to have enough funds to cover your expenses in New Zealand. Therefore, you must consider the following:
  • You must prove you have at least NZ $ 15,000 for your first year of study.
  • You must show that your living expenses have already been paid. Note that the cost of living varies from city to city in New Zealand.
  • You can find an acceptable sponsor to cover your expenses. Your sponsor must complete the Sponsorship for Temporary Entry.
  • An acceptable guarantor must complete “Financial Undertaking for a Student”.
  • If you need practical work experience, you must show that passing this course is a must. Therefore, you should provide the following:
  • Letter issued by your approved education provider
  • The outlines of the course are presented in a way that shows that practical work is an essential part of the course.

How to apply for this visa?

The visa application process for this visa is similar to other New Zealand visas:

  1.  You first choose whether you prefer to submit your documents online or through a paper application.
  2. Then you send the documents you prepared. To submit online, first, create an account on the New Zealand Immigration website and then submit your documents. Otherwise, you must go to the nearest visa application center and submit the documents.
  3. New Zealand Immigration will process your application and decide whether to grant you a visa.
  4. If your visa petition is approved, you can prepare for a trip to New Zealand.

How much does it cost to apply for this visa?

The cost of applying for a New Zealand visa, including a Pathway student visa, generally varies depending on the country where you are applying from. We, therefore, recommend that you visit the New Zealand Immigration website for information on fees to be paid. On this website, you can find accurate information on the costs by entering the name of your country and nationality.

Can a visa holder travel to or from New Zealand?

Yes, you can travel from New Zealand as a Pathway Student visa holder, but before that, you must have valid multiple-entry travel conditions. Otherwise, you can not return to New Zealand.

People applying for this visa within New Zealand have this condition when they receive their visas. Please note that if you leave New Zealand without multiple entry travel conditions, your visa will expire.

Can this visa holder work in New Zealand?

Yes. You can work under a Pathway Student visa in New Zealand, but note that you can work up to 20 hours per week. You can also work full time within the holidays.

If you are applying for this visa and you are allowed to work during your first course of study, you can work as long as your visa is valid. If your first course of study does not give you a work permit, but the second and third courses do, you can apply for a variation of conditions to be able to work in New Zealand.

If you are 16 or 17 years old, you must have written permission before working. You do not need written permission if you are 18 or older. Also, people under the age of 16 can not work in New Zealand.

Does the visa holder need health insurance?

As a Pathway student visa holder, you need to get full insurance. You must declare that you agree to have insurance. Your insurance should cover the following costs if necessary:

  • Travel costs to and from New Zealand as well as within New Zealand if traveling is part of your course
  • Treatment costs that include diagnosis, prescription, surgery, and hospitalization
  • The cost of transportation out of New Zealand as a result of illness or serious injury
  • Death, which includes travel costs of family members to and from New Zealand, the cost of repetition, and funeral expenses

Let’s sum up…

In the previous paragraphs, we described the Pathway  Student Visa application process and other details that you may encounter on the Pathway Student visa application process. In addition, you will find valuable information about visas from other countries on the Visa Library website.

If you have experience in obtaining a New Zealand student visa, you can share it with other readers through the comments section. Your experience will help them make better decisions on how to get a visa. You can also write your comments and suggestions through this section, and we will respond as soon as possible.

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