Studying in New Zealand

Deciding to study in New Zealand is both an exciting as well as a daunting decision.

There is so much to be considered. This page contains some information that hopefully makes your planning a little easier. It is not meant to be exhaustive, just some helpful tips to make your experience a little more enjoyable.

Before you Decide

Before you decide where you are going to study in New Zealand, you should probably give some thought to where you would like to live. Good institutions can be found all over the country, so choosing where you would like to live is almost as important as which institution you would like to study at.

Some things you should consider when choosing where to study in New Zealand include:

• New Zealand is made up of 2 islands (the North Island and the South Island) and the weather varies significantly across the country. If you are from a tropical climate, are you going to be happy living somewhere that is cold and wet for most of the year?
• Do you want to live in a big city, or in a smaller town? Each have their attractions. For instance the cost of living is cheaper in smaller centres, but there are more entertainment options in the bigger cities.
• Cost of living differentials. The cost of living while you study in New Zealand can vary greatly, even amongst the larger cities. Rent tends to be high in and around universities, so travelling to and from class may become a large and unavoidable expense.
• What are your motivations for coming to study in New Zealand? Whilst having a large community of students from your country at the institution you choose to study at can be very comforting, surrounding yourself with people from home may make your study in New Zealand experience feel like, well, being at home!

When determining which education facility you are going to attend and what course may be of interest to you, a good place to start would be the Careers NZ website. (http://www.careers.govt.nz/education-and-training/tertiary-study-options/choosing-a-course/)

In New Zealand there are lots of different ways to learn and places to study at tertiary level. There are eight universities, 20 polytechnics and institutes of technology, three wananga, over 700 private training establishments (PTEs) and nearly 40 Industry Training Organisations (ITOs). (http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/providers-partners/about-education-organisations/)

After you finish

Many students love New Zealand so much that they are interested in staying on after finishing their study in New Zealand. Perhaps post-study work rights are the main reason you are attracted to the prospect of studying in New Zealand? Depending on your course and motivations, it is likely that you will have some opportunity to stay on after you finish your study.

Some useful resources to help you determine whether you will have the right to continue to stay and work after you finish your study in New Zealand include the following:

Skill Shortage List: The list of skills that Immigration NZ has determined New Zealand is in need of (http://skillshortages.immigration.govt.nz/)

Department of Immigration: You can find out about New Zealand’s migration policies (http://www.immigration.govt.nz/).

NZQA – Coming to Study in New Zealand (http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/studying-in-new-zealand/coming-to-study-in-new-zealand/).

Caring for Internatinal Students – Code of practice (http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/studying-in-new-zealand/coming-to-study-in-new-zealand/)