New Zealand as a study abroad destination, it getting top level education in affordable fee is your major concern. The degrees attained from New Zealand hold worldwide acclamation and are highly reputed. Based on British education system, the universities in New Zealand focus on nourishing individual skills by providing abundant research and innovation opportunities. The country has strikingly beautiful landscape, economic stability, high standards of living, post graduation working opportunities and peaceful environment. Combining these factors together, New Zealand is competent study abroad destination among English speaking countries. We have shed a light at the general requirements of study abroad in New Zealand in the guide below:

Admission Requirements in New Zealand 

• For admissions in universities of New Zealand the applicant must have at least passed his previous degrees in overall 75% grades.

• The applicant can apply for admission directly at university’s official website.

• The entry requirements include, English proficiency test certificate (IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge), SAT test (if required), transcripts of academic records, certificates, recommendation letters, letter of intent, bank statement, work or research experience (for post graduate courses if applicable) and a valid passport.

• The selections for admission in universities of New Zealand are decided on the foundation of merit and academic excellence.

• Thousands of international students apply for admissions in universities of New Zealand therefore the process of selection are competitive. The study program you choose must be approved by New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) otherwise you will not be granted student visa for New Zealand.

Student Visa of New Zealand 

The nationals and resident permit holders of Australia do not require student visa for study abroad in New Zealand. All other nationalities require a student visa to study in New Zealand’s universities. You will get an acceptance letter and asked to pay the tuition and registration fee at once your admission application has been approved by one of the New Zealand’s universities. You will visit New Zealand’s Embassy or Consulate near your area after completing the formalities of admissions. The Embassy will guide you step to step procedure. The process of student visa usually takes 4 to 6 weeks. Depending on your nationality the requirements for submitting student visa application will be different. Generally, the Embassy will ask the student to submit the following documents:

• Clearance letter from police (prove of good character stating the applicant is not involved in any criminal offence)

• Bank statement (proving the applicant can bear his living and study expenses)

• English proficiency test certificate

• Proof of an arranged inward travel (paid travel ticket for your return back to your country after completing your studies in New Zealand proving your motive of travelling to New Zealand is solely education)

• Prove of paid tuition fee

(The procedure of attaining student visa for New Zealand is explained here)

Permanent Residency of New Zealand

New Zealand is offering an easy post graduation visa procedure to international which leads to permanent residency. The post graduation visa is offered to all international students regardless of their study program type in New Zealand. The duration of post graduation visa however depends on the study program you have completed in New Zealand. The post graduate diploma or degree holders can have post graduate visa of 2 to 4 years duration. The international students who have done other courses, degrees or diplomas that are not equivalent to post graduate level can have almost 12 months post graduation visa duration. In the duration of post graduation visa, the students can work in any firm or company and anywhere in New Zealand. The procedure of attaining permanent residency is based on points system. The points system is an eligibility criterion which ascertains which permanent residency category applies to the candidate. If you fulfill the eligibility criteria of any permanent residency category by achieving required points you will be invited to place formal immigration request and vice versa. (The complete process of permanent residency visa of New Zealand is explained in the article here).

Estimated Study and Living Expenses in New Zealand for Pakistani Students

Study Cost

The study cost in New Zealand is not expensive in fact it is relatively lower than other English speaking countries. The tuition fee for medicine and veterinary subjects is higher than other subjects.

• For studying an under graduate course in a university of New Zealand, the cost you can expect to pay ranges from NZ$22,000 (US$14,900 per year) to NZ$32,000 (US$21,700 per year)

• For study a post graduate program in New Zealand, you can expect to pay NZ$26,000 (US$17,660 per year) to $37,000 ($25,100 per year).

• The international students taking admission in a PhD degree program will have to pay same amount as the natives of New Zealand which ranges around NZ$6,500 (US$4,250 per year) to $9,000(US$ 5,886 per year).

Living Cost In New Zealand For International Students 

The cost of accommodation in New Zealand is quite expensive and higher than Australia. International students will face challenge in managing accommodation expenses per month. Other living expenses such as food, transport and entertainment are reasonably priced. The difficulty to manage monthly budget can be handled because of having permission to work in New Zealand part time under student visa. By working 20 hours a week a student can earn around $1400 and even higher if he/she has any specific professional skills. The prices of day to day useable commodities and transportation and accommodation rents are estimated as follows:

Accommodation

On Campus: $180 to $200 per week

A single room in shared flat: $120 per week

Private Renting Apartment with One room: $200 to $350 per week

Hostel: around $140 to $250 per week

Transportation

The public transportation system in New Zealand consists of metro trains, buses and ferries. The taxis are expensive mean of travelling in New Zealand. A monthly pass for public transport will cost you around NZ$120 and NZ$250 depending on the distance you will cover to reach your work place, university and home on daily basis.

Food

A basic menu meal in lunch or dinner time for one person in a restaurant will be around NZ$18. A dozen eggs are worth NZ$7, 1 kilogram potatoes are worth NZ$3.45, 1 kilogram tomatoes are worth NZ$6, Loaf of bread for two people one day usage is worth NZ$2.06.

Other Necessary Expenditures

Movie Ticket (Student’s Price) is worth $11-$14 and Textbooks (per year) expenditure is worth $500- $1000.

Part Time Jobs in New Zealand for International Students

All international students above 18 years of age are allowed to work 20 hours a week in New Zealand and the students enrolled in a post graduate Masters or PhD program can work according to their capacity (no restriction of hours). Part time jobs options in New Zealand are ample. You can do internships or traineeships to get professional experience or do other jobs after attending your classes. The minimum wage per hour in New Zealand is $16. No matter what work you do you will be at least paid this amount or more depending on your job type, skills and experience. There is no requirement of separate work permit; your student visa for New Zealand will serve as a work permit. You can do job of a cashier, waiter, tutor, sales consultant, data entry expert, translator, ware house worker, call center representative or do free lancing jobs.