According to Immigration New Zealand (INZ), 24,541 NZ student visa applications were received by the INZ office between January 2024 to July 2024, from across the world. INZ have completed 20,369 of these applications, with 15,242 approved. As per recent reports, the New Zealand student visa rejection rate of Indian students has risen significantly in recent years.

A New Zealand Student Visa allows international students to study in NZ.To apply for a study visa of NZ, students must have an admission offer letter from any university of NZ. Students who get an offer letter and accept it are eligible to apply for a New Zealand student visa. The NZ student visa application procssing time varies between 8-10 weeks. It can longer depending on the number of applications received for one particular academic session.
Applications for student visas can be applied in 4 different ways – online, offline, through an immigration advisor or at a visa centre. The status of applications can be checked online at RealMe or NZeTA if applied online, while offline applications can be tracked through the immigration advisors and visa centre application filings are tracked through VAC. New Zealand student visa fee is NZD 375 (INR 18,951 Approx). This blog will help you to understand every information related to New Zealand study visa. We will also discuss about steps to apply, who can apply and other relevant details
New Zealand Student Visa Details
Students going to New Zealand to study for more than three months would be required to apply for a New Zealand Student Visa. A student visa allows applicants to study full-time in New Zealand for a stipulated period. Check International Student Guide for Newzealand.A student visa may have conditions you must meet – for example, it may include (not limited to):
- The name of the program you are allowed to study
- The name of the educational provider
- The New Zealand location of the provider, and
- The requirement to hold acceptable insurance
Qualifications for Student Visa in New Zealand
To travel to New Zealand with a student visa, an international student must fulfil the following criteria:
- Applicant must have confirmed their offer letter for a course registered under the Ministry of Education of New Zealand or NZQA.
- The applicants must show proof of NZD 20,000 (INR 9,88,500 approx) for a year to stay in New Zealand for study.
- An applicant must maintain NZD 1,667 per month to survive in New Zealand.
- A ticket not to New Zealand but elsewhere to prove that the applicant has enough expenses to study and stay in New Zealand.
New Zealand Student Visa Application Fee
Students who are submitting their Student Visa Application online are required to pay a base Visa fee of NZD 375 which is INR 18,951 (approximately). Candidates who are applying for their Student Visa online from New Delhi are required to pay NZD 430 which is INR 22,000 (approximately) as the receiving centre fees (New Delhi).
Those applying for a student visa in New Zealand on paper (offline mode) should note that the immigration costs would be INR 22,600, in addition to this students are required to pay a receiving Centre fee of INR 1,520. Applicants are still required to check the official website before applying for the exact amount charged. New Zealand student visas for Indians would cost around INR 24,000 for an offline application.
Candidates looking to apply for their New Zealand Student Visa must have the following documents as part of their visa application process:
- Valid passport – Your passport must be valid for at least three months beyond your period of stay in New Zealand
- Completed Student Visa Application Form (INZ 1012)
- Application fee payment receipt (fee as mentioned above)
- An offer of a place – You need to have an offer of a place from a New Zealand institute/university. The forms are usually issued after the tuition fees have been received
- Letter from your current institution confirming your status as a study abroad student
- Health insurance receipt
- You may be required to show Health and Character certificates, to prove that your intention of staying in New Zealand is genuine
- Two passport-sized photographs
*Note: Additional documentation may be required. During the personal interview, additional documents may be requested by the interviewer. These may be documents to prove evidence of academic or financial status.
How to apply for a New Zealand Student Visa online?
Candidates should note that the preferred mode of submitting their New Zealand Visa Application is via online method. The online method is not only less time-consuming but also less expensive as compared to post. Here is how to complete your application online using NZ Immigration Online.
Gather your documents as mentioned above and scan and prepare all your main and supporting documents in PDF format. Ensure you have scanned and attached a photo of yourself. Candidates are instructed to visit the official website for photograph specifications required by the embassy.
NZ Student Visa Dependents
In most cases, the spouse and dependent children of a student will be granted a visitor visa for the same duration as their partner or parents’ stay. Spouses of the student on a Work Visa can work full-time in NZ. However, the dependents of students on visitor visas have no work rights.
You must be in a genuine and stable relationship with your partner and you must hold a New Zealand student visa to study for:
- A level seven (or higher) qualification on the New Zealand Qualification Framework in an area of absolute skill shortage as specified in the Long Term Skill Shortage List,or
- A postgraduate qualification
Additional Information
As an international student, you must complete your course within the minimum course duration listed on your acceptance letter. If you do not yet have a job offer, you may apply for a Post-study work visa. Visas granted are valid for up to 12 months and allow you to work in a temporary job while you look for a job in your field.
You can work part-time in New Zealand, for up to 20 hours per week if your program of study meets one of these criteria:
- It is at least two years in duration.
- It leads to a New Zealand qualification that qualifies for points towards an application for a Skilled Migrant visa.
- It is a tertiary institution, and the main purpose is to develop English language skills – you must also have an International English Language Testing System (IELTS). overall band score of 5.0 or above in the general or academic modules.
You may work full-time during all vacations if you are enrolled in a full-time program of study of at least one academic year’s duration. If your full-time program of study has a duration of at least eight months, and is a minimum of two semesters, but is less than 120 credits, you can work full-time over the Christmas and New Year holiday period.
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