New Zealand Announces Special Visa that Allows Foreign Students to Remain in the Country for 5 Years
- New Zealand Immigration has published details of the Pathway Student Visa, which covers up to 3 consecutive courses on a single application
- Successful applicants can work part-time for up to 25 hours a week while studying, with full-time work allowed during holidays
- The visa comes with strict financial and insurance requirements that all applicants must meet before they can be approved
PAY ATTENTION: Mark Legit.ng as a preferred source, and our content will appear higher in your Google feed!
New Zealand Immigration has released details of its Pathway Student Visa, a scheme that allows foreign students to remain in the country for up to five years while completing as many as three consecutive courses under a single visa.
The visa targets students enrolled with recognised pathway education providers in New Zealand.
Source: Getty Images
Rather than applying separately for each qualification, successful applicants can move from one course to the next without leaving the country or submitting a fresh visa application, provided they meet the academic entry requirements for each subsequent programme.
New Zealand: Who can apply and what they need
To qualify, applicants must hold a valid study pathway offer from an approved provider, have enough money to cover their tuition fees and living costs throughout their studies, and carry full medical and travel insurance. Students who cannot self-fund may apply with a scholarship or sponsorship arrangement in place.
Holders of the visa are permitted to work part-time for up to 25 hours a week during term and full-time during holidays, although this depends on the nature of the course being studied.
The visa also allows holders to travel in and out of New Zealand freely until it expires.
New Zealand Pathway Student visa: Key limits to note
Partners and dependent children cannot be added to the same application, though they are entitled to apply separately for visas based on their family relationship to the main applicant.
The visa is valid for up to five years, and immigration authorities may set its expiry date no more than three months after the student completes their final programme of study within that window. If a student's passport expires before their expected end date, the visa duration may be reduced accordingly.
New Zealand Immigration has also confirmed that paper applications for this visa are no longer accepted. All submissions must be made online.
In a related story, Legit.ng reported that New Zealand added 47 jobs foreigners can use to get a work visa.
New Zealand lists 24 qualifications for post-study work visa
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that New Zealand had named 24 qualifications that are eligible for a post-study work visa.
The guidance, published on the New Zealand Immigration official website, specifies that graduates holding non-degree qualifications at New Zealand Qualifications Framework (NZQF) Level 7 or below are only permitted to work in roles directly related to their area of study.
Applicants must also satisfy all registration and certification requirements set by the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand before they can qualify under this pathway.
Source: Legit.ng
