New Zealand Student Visas

• Passport – valid for at least three months past the end of your intended stay
• An accepted offer of place
• Health and character
• Evidence of funds to support self and meet living cost and course fees
• Proof of intention to leave at the expiry of the visa.

Visa conditions

Once a student visa is obtained, certain conditions must be met:

• The student must attend the place of study noted on the visa. (Inform NZ Immigration of any changes)
• If the student must be accompanied by a guardian, he/she must live with that person.
• The student must show that he/she is passing the course and meeting
• attendance requirements.
• Only undertake work allowed by the student visa (part time).

Conditions to work

Student visa holders can work part time while studying full time, under certain circumstances:

• meet course requirements for practical work experience, or
• during the Christmas and New Year holiday period if in a full-time course of study lasting 12 months or longer, and/or
• for up to 20 hours in any given week during the academic year if in full-time study:
• at a private training establishment or tertiary institution and taking at least two academic years to complete, or
• culminating in a New Zealand qualification that would qualify for points under the Skilled Migrant Category, or
• at a secondary school full year course of study in years 12 or 13, provided the student has written permission from his/her school and written consent from a parent
• in a full-time study course lasting at least six months, at a private training establishment or tertiary institution to develop English language skills or
• at a tertiary level of at least one academic year duration as part of an approved tertiary student exchange scheme.

Partners and children of students

Partners and dependent children will need to apply for a visitor visa or, if they will also be studying, their own student visa.

Most partners and dependent children of student or work visa holders can be granted a visitor visa for the same duration as their partner or parents’ stay.

Guardians

Students have to be accompanied by a guardian (parent or legal guardian) if enrolled in years 1 to 8 of a school, or a student aged 13 or under and enrolled in a private training establishment.