Top Mistakes to Avoid in New Zealand Student Visa Application

Getting Your Medical Check-up Done

As you are applying for your student visa to New Zealand, you will be asked questions regarding your medical history before approval. You may be asked to do a chest X-ray and/or provide other medical certificates that are less than 3 months old. Usually, these documents are sent to the INZ electronically as you apply.

However, you do not have to get a chest x-ray if you are applying for a student visa and staying for less than 6 months. It also applies to individuals who are:-

• Pregnant
• Below 11 years old
• Have already provided this information to the INZ in the last 3 years

A chest X-ray is mandatory for students who are:-

• Studying for 6 months or more
• Citizen of a country that does not have a low incidence of TB (Contact us to find out if your country is in the list) OR
  • Have spent more than 3 months in the last 5 years in a country that does not have a low incidence of TB.
• Staying for 12 months or more and you are applying for a student visa to be a PhD, MFAT-funded scholarship or exchange student.

Personal Statement

Once you have decided that you want to study in NZ, you will be required to write a Statement of Purpose (SoP) for the Immigration New Zealand before they approve your visa. It is a document that offers university admission board and Immigration New Zealand insights into your character which is not reflected in your test scores and transcripts.

Some of the main content requirements that should be included are:-

• How relevant is the course to your long-term goals?
• Write down all your past accomplishments – academic, extracurricular, social contributions, sports, volunteering which could relate to how you are as a student and how they can be related to your course
• What is the career you want to choose for yourself upon graduation in the future and why?
• Write down the area that you want to make personal contributions to professionally. How are these goals achievable with the help of the course you’ve picked?
• What makes you a special candidate?
• Which personal qualities will help you to get what you desire?

An example of how your SoP could be written is attached below:

Financial Evidence

Regardless of your level of study for your course applied, you have to prepare financial documents to support your application. This will be done in the form of certified bank statements which are:

• Proof that you or your sponsor has NZ$15,000 in the bank account as per INZ required amount for 1 year’s living cost in New Zealand
• At least 6 months dated from the month of your visa application
• Certified by the bank officer / bank authorities
• Any form of large deposits in the bank statements has to be explained especially the source of the deposit as in where does the cash comes from.

Other alternatives which could be accepted includes:

• Fixed-term deposit that is at least 6 months old
• Employee Provident Fund (EPF) statement

Supplying a police certificate

If you are above 17 years old and wish to study in NZ for more than 2 years, it is important to prove to the INZ that you have been on your best behaviour and have displayed evidence of good character.

You will be required to provide a police certificate that is from:

• Your country of citizenship
• Any country you’ve lived in for longer than 5 years since you turned 17

These certificates must be less than 6 months old when you apply for your visa with Immigration New Zealand.

You do not need to provide a police certificate if you have provided one in the last 3 years.

NZ student visa is only valid for 1 year

Regardless of how long your course takes to complete, you will need to renew your visa through the International Student Office of your university after this time if your course lasts for more than a year.

Therefore, it is important to always keep your visa expiry in check and know what the contents of the visa contains that allow or do not allow you to do. These can be seen on the visa label in your passport and the meaning of these terms are: