Most overseas students need a visa or permit to study full-time in New Zealand.

What is a visa and what is a permit?

A visa allows a person to travel to the New Zealand border and a permit allows them to
remain in the country. If someone has a visa they are usually issued with a permit at the border.
What a student visa allows

A student visa allows you to travel to the New Zealand border. When you arrive in New Zealand an immigration officer will check that you meet all the requirements to be granted a permit to study in New Zealand.

What a student permit allows

A student permit allows you to study full-time in New Zealand for a limited period of time.
A student permit may have conditions you must meet-for example, it may name:

• The course you are allowed to study
• The educational institute
• The New Zealand location of the institute

You do not need a student visa or permit for one or more courses of study, up to a total of three months, that the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) has approved or exempted (see the NZQA website www.nzqa.govt.nz). In this case you may need to apply for a visitor's visa or permit.

A student visa or permit is also not required for a single period of up to three months' study at a primary, intermediate, or secondary school. The study must be completed within that calendar year.

Visa cost: US$195
Financial requirements: Applicants need to demonstrate financial capacity. If they have a guarantor, they are simply required to fill out a form (Financial Undertaking for a Student).

Where students do not have a guarantor, for stays of less than 36 weeks, applicants need to provide evidence of funds of NZ$1000 (Rs.90 per NZ $) for each month of study and for stays of 36 weeks or more, applicants need to provide evidence of NZ$10,000 for each year of study.

This equates to around NZ$30,000 for a three-year degree.

Evidence of funds: Applicants only need to prove the existence of funds, rather than confirm funding sources. Acceptable evidence of funds includes photocopies of: travellers' cheques; bank drafts; letters of credit; and bank statements in the applicant's name, going back at least three months.

Work allowances: Students are allowed to work up to 20 hours a week during the academic year. They can work unlimited hours at the end of the academic year during the Christmas and New Year break.
Post-study work and residency conditions: At the completion of their studies, overseas students in New Zealand can apply for temporary work visas. These are visas released under either the:

Graduate Job Search Policy, where students can apply for a 12 month temporary work visa after they finish their qualification to work in unrelated areas while they seek employment in occupations directly related to their qualification. Students must apply for this visa within three months of the end date of their student visa and be able to demonstrate financial resources equal to NZ$2,100;

or Study to Work Policy, where a visa is valid for either two years, to enable students to obtain practical experience relating to and suitable for, their New Zealand qualification, or three years if they are working to obtain professional recognition from a New Zealand professional association.

Students need to apply for a visa under this programme no later than three months after the end date of their study permit. They must be able to demonstrate evidence of an offer of employment in an area of expertise related to a three-year qualification. Do visit us at 5/6, Railway Avenue, Nugegoda or contact us on 077 3424385 / 077 1051882 / 011 281 2283 for further queries. www.overseasstudentcentre.org.

OSC is always in the forefront for advising its valuable clientele and partners on different study options, entry requirements and scholarships available in top universities and colleges in Australia, UK, New Zealand, USA, Canada, Malaysia and Singapore and also guide them on the latest requirements to achieve a 100% success rate in UK, Aus, Canadian and NZ student visa submissions in partnership with Australian Migration Center (AMC).