Most overseas students need a visa or permit to study full time in New Zealand. You are considered to be a domestic student who does not need a student visa or permit if one of the following applies to you.

• You are a New Zealand citizen
• You hold a New Zealand residence permit
• You are an Australian citizen
• You hold a current Australian permanent residence visa or a current Australian resident return visa
• You are exempt from the requirement to hold a permit to be in New Zealand.

We define full-time study as:

• attending a private training establishment (PTE) for at least 20 hours each week
• studying at least three papers, or the equivalent, each semester at a tertiary institution other than a PTE
• attending a primary, intermediate, or secondary school for at least one school term.

Your course of study and education provider must be approved by the Ministry of Education to offer places to overseas students. You can find out from the education provider whether they and their courses are approved.

A visa allows a person to travel to the New Zealand border and a permit allows them to remain in the country. If someone has a visa they are usually issued with a permit at the border.

A student visa allows you to travel to the New Zealand border. When you arrive in New Zealand an immigration officer will check that you meet all the requirements to be granted a permit to study in New Zealand.

A student permit allows you to study full time in New Zealand for a limited period of time. A student permit may have conditions you must meet—for example, it may name:

• the course you are allowed to study
• the educational institute
• the New Zealand location of the institute.

You may be allowed to work for up to 20 hours each week during the academic year. You may also be allowed to work full time during the Christmas and New Year holiday period at the end of each academic year. To work you will need to apply for a variation of conditions to your student permit. You can apply for a variation of conditions as part of your application for a student visa or permit, by ticking the option at E2. You can also apply for a variation of conditions at a later date, as long as your student permit is current.

You do not have to have a job offer when applying for a variation of conditions, but you must be enrolled in a full time course of study that meets one of the criteria listed below:

• The course is at least two years long and you are studying at a private training establishment or tertiary institution;
• The course leads to a New Zealand qualification that qualifies for points under the Skilled Migrant Category of Immigration New Zealand’s Residence Policy;
• The course is at least one academic year long and you are taking part in an approved tertiary exchange scheme;
• You are studying in year 12 or year 13 and you have written permission from your school and your parents;
• The course is at a private training establishment or tertiary institution, and the main purpose of the course 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 academic module.

People who hold student visas or permits may not be self-employed, provide commercial sexual services, or operate or invest in a business of prostitution.

You cannot include anyone else on your application form. If your partner, your children, your parent/legal guardian, or anyone else will accompany you to New Zealand, they must apply separately for the type of visa or permit they require.

If you are aged 17 or under you may have to be accompanied by your parent or legal guardian.

Student permit holders are not generally eligible for publicly-funded health and disability services. People covered by New Zealand’s reciprocal health agreements with Australia and the United Kingdom are entitled to publicly-funded health care for immediately necessary medical treatment only. If you seek health care when you are in New Zealand you should carry your passport so that health providers can check whether you are eligible for publicly-funded health care. We strongly recommend that you arrange comprehensive health insurance for your stay in New Zealand.

You may be eligible to work in New Zealand once you have completed your studies. You will need to apply for a work permit.

If you do not yet have a job offer, you may apply for a visa/permit under the Graduate Job Search Work Policy. Permits granted under this policy 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. To be eligible for a work permit under our Graduate Job Search Policy you must:

• have successfully completed a New Zealand qualification that qualifies for points under the Skilled Migrant Category of Immigration New Zealand’s Residence Policy;
• have recently finished your qualification, and apply no later than three months after the end date of your student permit for that qualification;
• show that you have at least NZ$2,100 to support yourself financially;