You will need a student visa if you wish to come to New Zealand to study full-time for more than 3 months. You can only get a student visa to study in a course at an education institution, which is registered and approved by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority. Student Visa applications are processed by New Zealand Immigration Service.
Your student visa will be issued for the length of time your course tuition fees have been paid. If you are studying a long-term course at secondary school, university or polytechnic you will normally pay your tuition fees every year. Your visa application should be lodged at least two months prior to the course commencement date.
Requirements for Visa :
In order to get a student visa you have to show you have enough money to meet your tuition fee and living costs during your stay.
New Zealand Pre-visa Document Checklist
- Passport copy as proof of identity
- Police Clearance Certificate from Regional Passport Office- as a proof of good character
- Medical and T.B. X-ray Certificates from Panel Doctor ( Recognised doctors from Immigration New Zealand ) - as a proof of good health
- Offer Letter from the approved Institution . It must include
*The name of your course and how long the course is for
*Confirmation that your tuition fees will be paid by New Zealand Aid
*Mode of study
*If your course is for more than one academic year, the dates of all of the course’s scheduled holidays
*If you’re under 18, confirmation that your accommodation complies with the ‘Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students’.
*Offers of place must also include your approved education provider’s signed declaration that they’ve assessed:
your ability to participate in the course
that the course is a good match for your abilities and education needs.
- Tuition Fee payment - ( For applications processed outside New Zealand, evidence of payment isn’t required until after the application has been approved in principle. ) . If tuition fee is paid in advance, then attach copy of fee receipt.
- Finance for living - You must have enough funds to living . For that you need to provide following evidence
*proof that you have NZ$15,000 for a full year of study or NZ$1,250 per month that you’ll be in New Zealand
*documents that show your living costs have been paid
*a 'Sponsorship Form for Temporary Entry' completed by an acceptable sponsor
*a completed 'Financial Undertaking for a Student' form.
Acceptable funds resources for South Asian Students :
- You may be able to use a Funds Transfer Scheme to show you meet the minimum funds requirement.
- Proof of funds should include wages slips and corresponding bank statements for at least the last six months showing transfers into your or your sponsor’s or financial guarantor’s bank account.
- You should also provide tax returns for the last three years to confirm regular income.
- Other evidence of funds can include a fixed-term deposit that is at least six months old, or a General Provident Fund (GPF) or Employer Provident Fund (EPF) statement held with a Reserve Bank of India (RBI) approved financial institution.
- INZ ( Immigration New Zealand ) only accept funds sourced from gold loans, Kisan Credit Card loans, property sales or agricultural income if you or your sponsor have held those funds for six months or longer. INZ must also be able to verify the source of these funds.
- Education Loan from approved Bank .
NB: only immediate family are able to sponsor you or provide a financial undertaking. Immediate family are your partner, parents, siblings, grandparents and parents-in-law.
- Covering letter If you intend to study for more than 12 months, you should provide a payment plan, and evidence showing how you’ll pay your tuition and living expenses for your entire time in New Zealand. The evidence of savings and income supporting your payment plan should cover the last 3 years.
- Academic Documents : which used to get the admission in institute
- Educational Certificates, Mark sheets, Degrees and Diplomas
- IELTS / TOEFL / PTE score
- You can apply online from here or use the paper form.
- Two recent passport size photographs
- Covering Letter
- Visa Fee payable to INZ
- Confirmation of Accommodation Arrangement
- Confirmation of Medical and travel insurance
NB: A complete check list of visa documents for South Asian student can be found here
Visa Stamping
Upon receiving the Approval-in-Principle, the student has to pay the first year’s tuition fee to the institution. Thereafter, the institution will send the fee receipt by email to NZIS, to enable them to issue the Visa Stamp.