New Zealand Student Visa

New Zealand presents tremendous academic and career opportunities to aspirants around the globe. As a unique academic destination, it has beautiful sceneries, along with sophisticated technology. The country has a safe environment for studying and carrying out researches. All these elements culminate to make New Zealand one of the best places for Indian students to explore their higher education avenues.

The academic infrastructure in New Zealand is excellent, and it presents aspirants with great research opportunities. The affordability of fees, reasonable cost of living and proper support for international students make it a perfect study destination. The Global Peace Index 2019 reveals that New Zealand is presently the safest country to pursue academic courses. The country hosts several globally ranked universities and its educational system is responsive enough. Blending culture, professional and educational opportunities and quality education, the country offers an ambience that fosters knowledge acquisition among Indian students. 

What are the student visa requirements for New Zealand?

• Good academic record - 60% and above aggregate in Class 10th and 12th and over 50% aggregate in subsequent tertiary qualification with minimal backlogs, if any.
• An offer of place granted by an educational institute, which has to be permitted by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority
• Verifiable evidence of financial strength, indicating that the student can manage the educational and living expenses
• Evidence of financial strength to buy a return air ticket back to your country, or the ticket itself
• A police certificate would be necessary to show good character in case you are over 17 years of age and want to live in the country for more than 2 years

Students who are offered a place as a part of an approved exchange scheme can apply for the study permit for the respective duration of their exchanges. However, they need to fulfil their character and health requirements. Besides, they need to prove that they are genuine exchange participants. Some students pursue courses in New Zealand even when they visit the country on a working holiday program. However, the overall duration should not exceed six months.

Documents required to apply for New Zealand student visa

As a part of your application process for New Zealand student visa, you need to furnish the following documents:

• Completed application form for visa (INZ 1012)
• Receipt of application fee
• An offer of place from one of the universities or colleges in New Zealand. Once the authorities receive the tuition fees, the forms are issued.
• A letter from the present institution, that confirms your status as a student studying abroad
• Receipt of health insurance
• Original Police clearance Certificate not less than 6 months older at the time of visa application and E- Medicals acknowledgement of medical tests from empanelled doctor which has a validity not more than 3 months old.
• Two photographs (passport size)
• Affidavit of support from sponsor
• Evidence of English Language

Please note that the authorities may ask for additional documents during the interview. These documents would serve as an evidence for your financial or academic status. Besides, you may have to furnish relevant proofs for the following:

• Degrees, transcripts, certificates and diplomas you have completed
• Marks obtained from your Academic
• Explanation on how you would manage the educational, travel and living expenses in New Zealand.

How much does a New Zealand student visa cost?

For submitting the application for your student visa in Canada online, you need to pay a fee of NZD 330 (INR 15,300). Along with this, you need to pay VFS service fees of R. 1,087 will be charged for hardcopy applications and Rs.722 applies for online applications as the receiving centre fee.

As a candidate, please note that there might be some variations in the handling charges, depending on which Visa Centre you approach. Therefore, you need to check out the website for details, before you pay the amount at any given point of time.

How to apply for your student visa in New Zealand online?

Applicants should know that the online method is the preferred mode to submit the visa application as a student in New Zealand. The process takes a lesser amount of time, and the expenses are also lower than submitting it through post.

During the application process, you need to gather the mentioned documents. Scan each of these documents and prepare all the supporting documents, converting them to the PDF format. Make sure to attach a scanned photo of yourself. For specifications related to photograph, you may visit the official website, ensuring that you adhere to the guidelines offered by the embassy.

On an average, it takes around 63 calendar days for the New Zealand High Commission to process the visa application. This also depends on the background of the individual. Therefore, it is recommended to apply for your visa at least three months before you commence with the course. If you are applying online, you have to create an online account to fill up the application form.