NEW ZEALAND

Student's perspective of New Zealand

Its a beautiful, clean country with so much fresh air and heaps of places to visit. Its a beautiful place, with so many open green spaces. Its like living in an oil painting. The teachers here are great; they really care, and you can ask them anything. The teachers are really supportive, and there is a big community of international students, especially Indians.
* A country of open, welcoming people, a place of warmth and hospitality
* One of the cleanest country in the world. (Great air & water quality)
* A safe place with relatively low-crime rate. (Health & safety)
* English speaking country with huge Indian population
* Country known for breathtaking landscapes and natural beauty
* Tertiary education is well-known across the globe
* Students are allowed to work part-time for 20 hours a week*
* The adult minimum wage is NZ $22.70 cents an hour*
* Stay back for international students is upto max 3 years*
* Immigrant friendly and student visa is a pathway to residency*

The education landscape of New Zealand

International students choose to study at either private training establishments (PTEs), institutes of technology and polytechnics (ITPs), or universities that offer programmes that are typically classified into levels.

Level 5 Diploma: 1 year (+2 students with IELTS of 5.5 bands with no band less than 5.0)*
Level 6 Diploma: 2 years (+2 students with IELTS of 6 bands with no band less than 5.5)*
Level 7 Bachelors: 3 years (plus 2 students with IELTS of 6 bands with no band less than 5.5)*.
Level 7 Graduate Diploma: 1 year (graduation with IELTS of 6 bands with no less than 5.5)*.
Level 8 PG Diploma: 1 year (graduation with IELTS of 6.5 bands with no less than 6)*.
Level 9 Masters: 1 or 2 years (graduation with IELTS of 6.5 bands with no less than 6)*.
Level 10 PhD: 3 to 5 years (graduation with research experience and IELTS is not a must)*

Admission Intakes

ITPs and Polytechnics: February and July
Universities: February and July

Admission checklist

Academics: Class 10, Class 12, Bachelors (year wise, provisional, and consolidated)
Employment: If any, conclusive evidence of employment like an offer letter, pay slips, bank statements with salary credits, Form 16, ITR, PF statement, appraisal letters, and relieving letters, if not working at the time of application.
Language proficiency: Acceptable language proficiency tests are IELTS (academic), TOEFL (pBT and iBT), CAE, and PTE (academic).
CV/Resume: The most updated one, not leaving any gaps. Mention an internship or any work experience.
Recommendation letters: Universities typically ask for LORs, and they have to be usually from two professors who taught you; if you have any work experience, then ideally one from a professor and one from your employer.
SOP (Statement of Purpose): Universities typically ask for this or else when you are switching your subject of study. A SOP should ideally include how the chosen programme and the learning outcomes aligned with existing qualifications and work experience help the student achieve his or her career goals or aspirations in India after graduating from New Zealand.

Visa Checklist

Have a valid passport (a passport that’s valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave New Zealand).
Have an offer of a place to study a programme from an institution in New Zealand, either a PTE, ITP, or university.
Academics and work experience (if any).
Language proficiency scores.
A SOP (statement of purpose) justifying your genuine intent to study in New Zealand and incentives that would persuade you to leave NZ after study.
Evidence of tuition fee payment from your education provider.
Evidence that you have enough money to support your living expenses while on the study and justify the source of money and your parent's financial ability to pay your fee and living expenses.
A health examination certificate from INZ-approved diagnostic centres or approved medical practitioners.
A police clearance certificate from Passport Seva Kendra as evidence of your character.
Fill out the visa application forms and pay the visa fee.

Scholarships for students in New Zealand

Students applying to study in Universities are typically eligible to apply for scholarships to help them financially reduce the burden of tuition costs. To give you a gist of that, here is the scholarship opportunity from the University of Auckland for international students. Up to 50 international student excellence scholarships value of $ 10,000 per annum will be awarded to students annually who want to pursue Bachelors or Masters, For more information on scholarships we would recommend you to speak to our counsellors or check the website of the university you are interested in applying to for study*.

Part-time work for students in New Zealand

New Zealand has one of the highest minimum wages in the world, and that helps international students immensely to work, gain experience in New Zealand, socialize, gain cultural acclimatization, and support their rent, food, and other expenses while studying. Effective April 1, 2023, the national minimum wage for adults is NZ$22.70 per hour. International students may work up to 20 hours per week while on study visas, and during study or academic breaks they may choose to work full-time, which is typically 40 hours per week.

Post-Study Work Rights (Post-Study Work Visa Open)

International students are allowed to stay and work in New Zealand for up to three years, depending on what they study. Students who graduate with a Level 7 or above qualification are eligible for a post-study work visa in New Zealand.

Level 7 qualification: listed on the Green List of Qualifications, post-study work visa duration is the same as your course duration*.
Level 8 qualification: The post-study work visa duration will be the same as your course duration*.
Level 9 (Masters): The post-study work visa duration will be 3 years*.
Level 10 (PhD): The post-study work visa duration will be 3 years*.