Student visa is an important part of studying in New Zealand. How long is the New Zealand student visa valid?

New Zealand is one of the most beautiful countries in Oceania. It is surrounded by coastal mountains and offers adventure and leisure. There is a series of scenery here that you will never forget. In addition to these natural scenery, most people focus on New Zealand's English-only education system, low cost of studying abroad, and relaxed study abroad policies, and designate it as a study abroad destination. A student visa is an important part of studying in New Zealand. How long is a New Zealand student visa valid? Below, Study Abroad will answer your questions.

New Zealand student visa validity period

Generally speaking, a student visa will be issued until the date of payment of tuition fees and living expenses (up to 4 years). Specifically, if the course setting is based on the New Zealand academic year, visas for higher education courses will be issued until March 31, and visas for primary and secondary school courses will be issued until February 28. If the course duration is less than one year or the course can start at any time during the year, the visa will be issued within one month of the tuition fee payment date.

New Zealand student visa validity policy

From 2014 to 2015, the number of international students studying in New Zealand on student visas increased by 16%, reaching more than 80,000. International student exchanges bring NZ$2.85 billion to the New Zealand education industry every year. In order to attract more outstanding international students, the New Zealand Ministry of Education and Immigration recently launched a new student visa, the Pathway student visa, which is valid for up to 5 years.

International students holding this visa can take up to three different courses at selected educational institutions in New Zealand. Studying in one educational institution or different educational institutions in partnership can obtain a Pathway student visa, which is valid for up to 5 years. The visa policy has been implemented since December last year, with an initial trial period of 18 months, covering 500 primary schools, secondary schools and higher education institutions.

New Zealand Study Abroad Application Process

After international students confirm their intention to study, they must prepare their personal information and have it notarized in a timely manner. The main notarization materials include: birth notarization, kinship notarization, crime-free notarization (the original crime-free notarization should be prepared at the same time and submitted to the visa office), academic qualifications and achievement notarization, etc. If the guarantor is a legal person, a notarized business license is also required.

After the notarization and school application materials are ready, you can submit the school application. At this time, you also need to prepare the student's passport, because a passport is required to apply for professional courses in New Zealand. It is generally recommended to use a credit card or buy a money order for the school's application fee.

After students receive the school’s admission notice, they can start preparing visa materials and making appointments for physical examinations. Finally, they will submit the medical examination report and visa materials to the visa office. After the pre-assessment, students need to pay attention to all the procedures of paying tuition fees and applying for certificates of equivalent living expenses within one month.