New Zealand Guide

New Zealand Student Visa: Requirements, Funds and Work Rights

New Zealand student visas are assessed on three pillars: a genuine offer of place from an approved provider, enough money for fees and living costs, and credibility as a genuine student. Applications from high-risk markets get real scrutiny, so the file must hold together: your study history, your chosen course and your funding story need to make sense as one narrative.

Quick checklist

Get an offer of place from an NZQA-approved provider before any visa step.
Show living funds, currently around NZD 20,000 per year for tertiary study, on top of paid or payable tuition.
Make the course a logical next step from your academic and work history.
Prepare a clear explanation of who funds you and where their money comes from.
Check the current in-study work-hours limit and whether your course allows it.
Research post-study work eligibility for your qualification level before choosing the course.

Offer of place and funds

The visa starts with an offer of place from a provider approved by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority. Financial requirements have two parts: tuition, paid or shown as payable, and living costs, with roughly NZD 20,000 per year expected for tertiary students. Funds must be genuinely available and their origin explainable: salary history, business income or documented family sponsorship. Sudden large deposits without a paper trail are the most common financial red flag.

The genuine student test

Immigration officers assess whether study is your real purpose. They weigh your age, study gaps, previous refusals, the logic of the course choice, and whether the qualification plausibly improves your prospects at home or on a legitimate pathway. A strong statement of purpose addresses the awkward parts of your history directly, a gap year, a change of field, instead of hoping nobody notices. Consistency between your Campus-style documents, your funds and your stated goals decides marginal cases.

Working during and after study

Most tertiary student visas allow part-time work during term, the limit has been around 20 hours per week with expansions announced in recent settings, and full-time during scheduled breaks; check your visa conditions for the exact number. After graduating, the Post Study Work Visa is available for eligible qualifications, generally degree level and above, giving up to three years of open work rights that feed naturally into the AEWV and Skilled Migrant routes. Lower-level qualifications have far weaker post-study rights, which should influence your course choice from the start.

Common questions

Student Visa FAQs

How much money do I need to show for a New Zealand student visa?

Roughly NZD 20,000 per year of living costs for tertiary study, plus your tuition fees, either already paid or shown as available. The exact figure and format are set out on the INZ website. The money must be genuinely accessible and its source explainable; borrowed "show money" that vanishes after the visa is granted is fraud.

Can I bring my spouse and children on a student visa?

It depends on your course level. Partners of students in certain postgraduate programs or Green List-related studies may qualify for open work visas, and children for domestic schooling, but partners of most undergraduate and diploma students do not. Check the current partner and dependent settings before building family plans around a course.

Does a New Zealand qualification lead to residence?

It can, through the sequence of Post Study Work Visa, skilled employment with an accredited employer, then Skilled Migrant Category residence. The pathway is real but not automatic: it depends on graduating in a field where skilled jobs exist, particularly Green List occupations like engineering, IT and healthcare.

How to use this page

Read the checklist first to see what needs preparing.
Use the sections below for the reasoning behind each step.
Check the FAQs for common edge cases.
Confirm current rules on immigration.govt.nz before you apply or accept any offer.