New Zealand F1 Student Visa Guidance

Visa Guidance NZ

Complete details of visa and permit requirements, advice on rights to employment in New Zealand while studying, and reporting requirements are available through the New Zealand Immigration service, and can be viewed on their website at www.immigration.govt.nz.

Student visa and permit information and application forms can be obtained from any New Zealand Immigration Service branch office within New Zealand or overseas (contact the nearest New Zealand High Commission in your country or Embassy in Delhi (India).

It is also recommend that you visit the New Zealand Immigration website to obtain information on student visa criteria prior to completing an application form as requirement can vary for country to country.

www.immigration.govt.nz/study

Student Visa:

Brief

NZIS is the sole agency of the NZ government responsible for migration and entry to NZ.  Student visa is required to enter the country to study a course more than 3 months duration.

You can only get a student visa to study in a course at an education institution, which is registered and approved by the NZQA.

Your student visa will be issued for the length of time your course tuition fees have been paid. You must pay your tuition fees in advance for the University to send you an official receipt and the Offer of Place Certificate, which also guarantees that accommodation will be available, all these are required with your visa application.

You can also obtain all relevant information and forms from the New Zealand Immigration Service website, www.immigration.govt.nz.

For your New Zealand student visa you may require:

• Offer letter: The New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) offer letter to international students, which lists minimum course duration, course fees and whether the fees are applicable at domestic or foreign rates
• Fee Receipt: Receipt showing payment of one year’s tuition fees (provided that your visa application has been approved in principle)
• Guarantee of Stay (for students aged under 18 years): A written document from an institution or person that states that the student has suitable accommodation arranged in New Zealand
• Health and medical requirements: If you are staying in New Zealand for more than six months then you need to be screened for tuberculosis. For a longer stay, a general medical certificate and a chest X-ray certificate need to be provided. These must be obtained from Immigration New Zealand’s approved panel physicians in India. Check the list here
• Medical and travel insurance: Student visa holders are generally not eligible for publicly funded health and disability services. For this reason, foreign fee-paying students are required to hold acceptable medical and travel insurance as a condition of their visa
• Proof of English: An IELTS score to demonstrate competency in English is necessary to apply for a New Zealand student visa. You will need to meet IELTS score prerequisites to gain admission to the top universities in New Zealand. Some education providers do consider your English scores in year 12
• Police certificate: If you are studying in New Zealand for more than two years, you must provide a police certificate from your country of citizenship and from any country in which you have lived for five or more years since reaching 17 years of age. The certificates must be less than six months old
• Photographs: Two recent passport-sized photos will be required
• Covering letter/SOP: Please give your  background covering the evidence of funds and the your English Language ability. In addition please provide a statement of purpose (SOP) which should contain reasons as to why you are applying, what do you wish to study and how will the course would help you in the future. This SOP should be hand-written by you (no one else)
• Academics: All original academic marksheets and transcript that you had submitted to the University must to be submitted at the time of New Zealand student visa application
• Financial Documents: You need to prove that you have sufficient funds to undertake the course of study in New Zealand

You must submit evidence of sufficient funds for maintenance during your stay in New Zealand including:

• Financial Undertaking Form/s (if more than one guarantor)
• Affidavit/s of Support from Guarantors (also stating the exact relationship of the guarantor with the applicant). The guarantor must provide documentary evidence of their identity including date of birth, proof of signature and full contact details including telephone numbers
• The student should provide evidence of funds upfront for the first 12 months of study inclusive of living expenses (NZ$15,000 per annum) in New Zealand. The student will have to transfer the tuition fees to the Institution and apart from that the student will have to show the living expense of NZ$10,000 per annum. If the duration of course is longer, students should provide a plan of payment to show that they have access to funds and have the ability to meet the rest of the course cost and living expenses.

Following evidences are acceptable to prove your funds:

• • Education loan sanction letter from a nationalised or multi national bank only
  • Latest bank statements for the past 6 months. It should not be more than 1 week old from the date of visa application. Please ensure that statements and not balance certificates are provided
  • Fixed Deposits. In this case please ensure that a copy/counterfoil of the deposit along with a letter from the bank giving the details of the deposit is provided.
  • Public Provident Fund Accounts/Employers Provident Fund Accounts along with a confirmation letter stating the exact amount that can be withdrawn and which can be considered as liquid
  • Post Office Accounts
  • National Saving Certificates.
    OR
  • Funds Transfer Scheme

New Delhi branch has put in place a system wherein the students may choose to transfer 12 months’ living expenses to a bank account in NZ, in addition to paying the tuition fee for 1 year. The amount deposited in the bank is locked for a period of 12 months and then drip fed to the student on a prearranged basis.

The funds transfer option is to facilitate student visa applications from those students who genuinely intend to study in New Zealand but may not have access to funds older than six months. Students who opt for this process will not be required to provide verifiable documentary evidence to demonstrate the source of recent funds. This option does not preclude the applicant from submitting satisfactory evidence of funds and source of income for their financial guarantors.

Note:

Applicants are required to provide documentary evidence of income and source of income of their parents, even if the cost of study is being sponsored by another person.