Pathway Student Visa

A Pathway Student Visa allows you to study up to 3 programmes of study, one after the other, on a single visa. A pathway education provider can offer almost any programme of study, as long as it shows you will progress on it. You can take a break of up to 16 weeks between your programmes of study, for example, the summer holiday between secondary school and university.

You must be offered a valid study pathway by a pathway education provider. Not all education providers can offer courses for this visa.

You will need to get a letter of support from your pathway education provider or a joint letter if your study is with more than 1 provider. The letter must: set out the courses that make up your study pathway, and include the start and end dates for each course.

You must provide documents that show you have paid the tuition fees for your first course or first year of study — whichever is shorter — and evidence that you are able to pay for the next years of study with your pathway education providers.

If you are paying for yourself If your studies are tertiary level, English language or other non-compulsory study, you must have: NZD $20,000 for each year if you are studying for 1 year or more NZD $1,667 for each month if your study is shorter than 1 year.

have enough money to pay your living expenses during you stay, or have an acceptable sponsor

have full medical and travel insurance for the length of your stay

You must study full-time and attend the course at the pathway education provider noted on your visa, unless you have a good reason for absences. You must make satisfactory progress in your studies.

You will need to meet the pre-requisites for any second and third courses on your study pathway to stay in New Zealand on a Pathway Student Visa.

You may be allowed to work part-time for up to 25 hours a week and full-time during all scheduled holidays and/or the Christmas and New Year holiday period. Check your visa conditions.

If you are applying for a Pathway Student Visa and the first course of your study pathway gives you work rights, you will be allowed to work in New Zealand for the length of your visa. If the first course on your study pathway does not give you work rights, but your second or third courses do, you can apply for a ‘variation of conditions’ to allow you to work in New Zealand.

If you are aged 16 or 17, or in years 12 or 13 of secondary school, you must have permission to work for your student visa to be granted with work rights.

Students aged 15 or younger cannot work on a student visa.

You are not allowed to be self-employed.

You cannot include your partner or dependent children in your visa application, but they can apply for visas based on their relationship to you.

This visa allows you to stay in New Zealand for up to 5 years.

If you want to change your education provider or move to a lower level course, you will need to apply for a new student visa. If you want to change your course with the same education provider to one that is the same or a higher level, you will need to apply for a ‘variation of conditions’ to continue studying on your Pathway Student Visa.

Apply for this visa if you want to work in New Zealand soon after you have completed your studies here. It allows you to stay and work in New Zealand for up to 3 years, depending on what you studied.

Residence option Can lead to a resident visa Yes

have recently finished studying in New Zealand for an approved qualification