New Zealand has earned a reputation for high quality, internationally
recognised courses.
Immigration New Zealand's role in export education is to maintain that
reputation by facilitating and managing any risks. That's why
education providers must meet our requirements before
they can enrol students from overseas.
We also have some definite rules and
requirements
that students from other countries have to meet before they can study
here. And we'll only issue Student Visas and Permits to people enrolled
with education providers who meet our requirements.
Education New Zealand is the industry body for New Zealand's education
exporters. Established in 1999, ENZ is a not-for-profit organisation
that is owned by New Zealand's educational institutions. For more
information visit www.educationnz.org.nz
Page Last Updated: 07 Sep
2006
About applying for a Student Visa or Permit
If a student is coming to New Zealand to study for a course lasting longer
than three months, they will probably need to apply for a student
visa.
If they’re taking one course only for less than three months, they can
apply for a visitor
visa instead.
Once your students arrive in New Zealand on a Student Visa, we will issue
them a Student Permit. The Student Permit gives them permission to stay in New
Zealand temporarily to study. It states the date their permit will expire, the
institution at which they are permitted to study and any other conditions of
their permit.
Want to know more about applying for a Student Visa or Permit?
First, read each of the following sections to help answer some of the
questions your overseas students may ask when applying for a visa or permit.
Then, check out the steps
they will need to follow to apply for a Student Visa or Permit.
Page Last Updated: 06 Sep
2006
What is required? – educating overseas students
Education providers must meet a number of requirements before they can
offer courses to international students. The students must also meet
our requirements to be eligible to study here.
What immigration requirements do education providers have
to meet?
Our requirements are based around a provider’s offer
of a place to an overseas student. These include specific
course requirements that you must meet before you can offer a place.
Additionally, any provider offering courses to overseas students has
obligations
to meet under Section 40 of the Immigration Act.
Please note: immigration considerations are only part of the requirements
education providers must meet to be able to enrol students from overseas.
For more information visit the New
Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) and the Ministry
of Education websites.
Page Last Updated: 06 Sep 2006
What requirements do students from overseas have to meet?
To be eligible to come to New Zealand to study, there are a number of
conditions students from overseas need to meet before they get here and
others they must meet during their stay.
Before students get here…
To enter New Zealand students from overseas need:
to have an offer
of a place from a New Zealand education provider such as a school
polytechnic or university
to provide evidence that they’ve arranged accommodation through the
education provider or through another person
a guardian
who is eligible to accompany them, if required
to have an acceptable
standard of health and be of good
character. And if their stay is longer than two years,
they’ll need to provide police certificates and undergo health checks
a passport that’s valid for at least three months past the date they
are to leave New Zealand
proof that they plan
to leave New Zealand once they’ve completed their study
proof that:
they’ve paid any course fees that they’re required to pay or
they’re exempt from paying fees or
they have a scholarship or an award that covers their fee
proof that they have enough
money to support themselves during their stay
If an overseas student is granted a Student Permit they need to meet
certain conditions during their stay:
they must attend the place of study noted in their permit. However,
they can apply to us to change their course or the institution. Want
to know more?
we’ll want to see the student is making progress in their study –
that they’re passing the course
they may only undertake work allowed by their Student Permit
they must keep within New Zealand’s laws
they must only stay in New Zealand for the time allowed by their
permit
they must be accompanied by an eligible guardian,
if required.
If a student from overseas breaks any of these conditions we may revoke
their permit.
Page Last Updated: 01 Nov
2007
.
Guardianship
Immigration New Zealand allows parents or guardians to live with
and care for their child while they study in New Zealand. The child must
be 17 years of age or younger, or enrolled in school years 1 to 13, and
must be the holder of a current student visa or permit.
By 'guardian' we mean the person with the legal right and
responsibility to provide for the care of the student in the student's
home country. This includes biological and adoptive parents, New Zealand
and foreign court-appointed guardians and testamentary guardians.
Important points include:
the usual visitor visa requirements apply, including health
and character
requirements
guardian visa holders are not entitled to publicly subsidised
services, including healthcare
only one guardian visa will be issued per family, for up to a year
a parent or guardian can be granted further 12-month visitor
permits to allow them to stay for the duration of the student's course
or until the student turns 18 years of age
if the guardian is granted a permit under this policy in order for
them to care for a student aged 13 years or younger, in most cases
they must live with that student while in New Zealand. Their permit
may be revoked if they fail to live with the student
guardian permit holders are not eligible for student permits or work
permits under General work or Specific Purpose or Event
policies.
