New Zealand Student Visa: A Complete Guide

Meridean Overseas

Updated On 09 January 2024 & Read Time 10 minutes

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Applying for a New Zealand student visa?

It is a good choice because the country's preference has increased by 98%, making it a new favourite destination for international students. Many students are applying for the New Zealand student visa because the country houses the top universities that offer budget-friendly courses. Apart from this, New Zealand has abundant adventure opportunities, and the government cares for international students. Also, New Zealand comes second on the Global Peace Index list after Iceland, making it an attractive destination among international students.

In this regard, the blog gives details of the New Zealand student visa, qualifications and document requirements of the country, fees, and online and offline procedures to apply for the visa.

Table of Contents

Overview
Types of New Zealand Student Visa
New Zealand Student Visa Details
New Zealand Student Visa Fees
New Zealand Student Visa Document Requirements
How to Apply for a New Zealand Visa Online?
Where can you apply for a New Zealand Study Visa offline?
Visa Processing Time to Study in New Zealand
Conclusion
FAQs

Types of New Zealand Student Visa

If you plan to study in New Zealand for more than six months, then five types of visas are available. The table below provides required details of all types of visas offered by NZ:

Student Visa Type	Benefits	Duration	Primary Condition	Application Fee*	Approximate Visa Processing Time
Fee Paying Student Visa	Allows students to take full-time courses at a recognized university in New Zealand and meanwhile work up to 20 hours in a week	Up to 4 years	Payment of full tuition fee and an offer letter from a recognized university in New Zealand	330 NZD (16,712 INR)	73 days
Vocational Trainee Student Visa	Allows New Zealand Short Term Training Scholarship scholars to take a training placement or Allows shipping company professionals to study a nautical programme of study at Manukau Polytechnic And work up to 20 hours in a week	Up to 1 year (New Zealand Short Term Training Scholarship scholars) or Duration of the program at Manukau Polytechnic	Recipient of New Zealand Short Term Training Scholarship or Enrolled at Manukau Polytechnic	288 NZD (14,585 INR)	47 days
Foreign Government Supported Student Visa	Allows students with a foreign government loan or scholarship to study full-time in NZ and meanwhile work up to 20 hours in a week	Up to 4 years	Proof of government loan or scholarship covering entire tuition fees	330 NZD (16,712 INR)	47 days
Pathway Student Visa	Allows students to take 3 consecutive courses on a single student visa and meanwhile work up to 20 hours a week	Up to 5 years	Letter of acceptance from a recognised university offering a pathway program and proof of finance.	295 NZD (14,939 INR)	73 days
Exchange Student Visa	Allows students enrolled in exchange programs to take a full-time program and work up to 20 hours a week	for Up to 4 years (as per the exchange length).	Proof of enrollment in a student exchange program	330 NZD (16,712 INR)	2 days

Note- The New Zealand student visa cost includes the application fee and visa handling fee. The visa handling fee for Indian students is 14 NZD or 747 INR.

New Zealand Student Visa Details

Students who want to study in New Zealand for more than three months need to apply for a New Zealand student visa. So, when you apply for a visa, you must fulfil some conditions. The required details are as follows:

Name of the course
Name of the institute
Application acceptance letter
Required Insurance

Qualifications for New Zealand Visa

If you need a New Zealand Student Visa, some criteria need to be fulfilled.

You must have an offer letter from a particular university for a course registered under the Ministry of Education of New Zealand.
You need to show proof of funds and require approximately NZD 20,000 to stay in the country for a year.
You must maintain NZD 1250 per month in your bank account.
A ticket or proof of funds that you have money to repurchase a ticket home.

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New Zealand Student Visa Fees

If you are a student aspiring to pursue higher education in New Zealand, you must pay a base visa fee of NZD 375. Students applying for New Zealand student visa application online have to pay NZD 430 as receiving centre fees.

Students applying for Student visa application on paper must pay immigration fees of INR 22,600 and additional centre fees of INR 1,520. However, you should always check the official website for the exact amount. Offline New Zealand student visa application would cost around INR 24,000.

New Zealand Student Visa Document Requirements

In order to apply for a New Zealand student visa, the list of documents required are:

Offer letter from a New Zealand university, and the tuition fee is paid.
A passport valid for at least three months from your stay in New Zealand.
Documents to give the proof of funds, i.e., bank statements, proof and source of income, etc.
Passport size photographs
Application fee payment receipt
Valid medical and Police clearance certificate
English Proficiency test scores
Medical and travel insurance

How to Apply for a New Zealand Visa Online?

The online mode of applying for a New Zealand visa application is the most popular, convenient, and less expensive than the offline method. Here is the procedure to complete an online application using the official NZ Immigration website.

Collect all the required documents
Scan and prepare all your documents in PDF format
Do not forget to attach a photo of yourself
You can visit the official immigration website to know the exact specifications of a passport-size photograph required by the embassy.

Note- The time required to process a New Zealand student visa is approximately 63 days. So, applying for a visa at least three months before the semester begins is advised.

New Zealand Student Visa Dependents

The dependents include the spouse, and the dependent children will be availed of a visa for the same duration as their partner. The visa granted to the spouses allows them to work full-time in New Zealand. However, the dependent children are not allowed to work.

So, to acquire a New Zealand student visa, you need to have a legal and stable relationship with your spouse.

A master's degree
A level seven (or higher) degree in Long-term skill shortage list

Additional Information

As an international student, the course must be completed within the minimum duration mentioned on the acceptance letter. Even if you do not have a job offer, you can still apply for a post-study work visa. The visa granted is valid for up to 12 months, which allows you to work temporarily until you find a permanent job.

If your study program meets one of the following criteria, you can work part-time (20- hours a week).

If your program qualifies for points towards an application for a skilled migrant visa.
The course is at least two years
It is a tertiary institution, and your purpose is to develop English language skills, so your IELTS band score must be 5 or above.

Note- If you are enrolled in a program related to research or a doctoral degree program awarded by an NZ tertiary institute. Then there are no bars to the work hours. You can work for as long as you want.

Where can you apply for a New Zealand Study Visa offline?

The contact information of various New Zealand High Commissions nationwide is mentioned below.

Immigration New Zealand (INZ), New Delhi Centre

Telephone: 91 11 4259 6300

Fax: 91 11 4761 2990

Email: nzisnewdelhi@dol.govt.nz

New Zealand High Commission

Sir Edmund Hillary Marg, Chanakyapuri

New Delhi 110 021

Telephone: 0091-11-4688 3170

Fax: 0091-11-4688 3165

Email: nzhc@airtelmail.in

New Zealand Consulate General

Mumbai, India

Street Address: Level 2, 3rd North Avenue, Maker Maxity, Bandra Kurla Complex,

Mumbai 400 051, India

Telephone: 91-11-42596300 or email

Fax: 91 22 6770 9003

Email: inzmumbai@ttsvisas.com

Visa Processing Time to Study in New Zealand

The time duration to process the visa varies on different factors. However, the average time reported to process the New Zealand student visa is:

50% of applications- within 13 days
75% of applications- within 24 days
90% of applications- within 46 days

Education Providers	50% of Applications Processed in	75% of Applications Processed in	90% of Applications Processed in
PTEs	30 days	47 days	67 days
ITPs	32 days	48 days	62 days
Universities	22 days	39 days	66 days
Schools	21 days	31 days	45 days

Note- According to the data, the time to process a visa is around two to seven weeks. The above data may change depending on the information updated on the official website.

Conclusion

In summary, to obtain a New Zealand student visa, you need to be clear with your goals and have sufficient funds to support your stay and travel in the country. New Zealand offers five types of visas: fee-paying student visa, Vocational trainee student visa, Foreign government-supported student visa, pathway student visa and exchange student visa. Moreover, International students can apply for the NZ visa as soon as they receive an acceptance letter from one of the renowned universities in New Zealand.

Above in this blog, we have covered everything about the New Zealand student visa. If you look forward to studying in New Zealand or seeking more information, contact our expert counselors at Meridean Overseas Education Consultants (MOEC). You can also take free online counseling through our website. Our expert counselors will provide you with the best support and guidance you need for admission and visa. In addition, they will help you shortlist the universities according to your profile. For more information or any queries, contact application02@meridean.org or 1800-1230-00011.

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FAQs

Q. Which New Zealand visas are available for dependents?

Ans: Visas based on relationships are granted to the student's dependents or relatives. The following relationship-based visas are accepted in New Zealand for dependents of holders of international student visas:

Partner of a New Zealander Visitor Visa
Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa
Dependent Child Student Visa
Adoption Visitor Visa
Culturally Arranged Marriage Visitor Visa
Partner of a New Zealander Work Visa
Child of a New Zealander Visitor Visa
Dependent Child Resident Visa
Adoption Pre-citizenship Visitor Visa

Q. What is a visa for skilled migrants?

Ans: To remain and work in New Zealand indefinitely, an individual must apply for a skilled migrant visa if they intend to stay longer.

Q. How does one apply for a New Zealand student visa?

Ans: To apply for a student visa in New Zealand, you have four options:

Apply online
Fill out a paper application.
Apply via an immigration counsellor
Apply at a centre for visa applications.

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