International students who are already studying in New Zealand but wish to change their degree or university must apply for a new visa. Such students will now be given priority in the processing of their visa applications because they are filing from within the country.

New Zealand is changing the way they allocate international student visa applications filed by students in New Zealand. This is aimed to provide more flexibility and can process student visa applications more efficiently during this summer processing peak.

Overall, it is directed at improving international student visa processing times. As of December 2024, if your application includes all the documentation, it will be processed closer to the average wait time of 2 weeks and a maximum of 4 weeks for students applying to universities.

For applications submitted in New Zealand, Immigration New Zealand (INZ) will prioritise visa applications from students who are in New Zealand and applying for a second or subsequent international student visa, with a new provider or for a different course.

This is because students changing courses or providers must be granted a visa with their new study conditions before they are permitted to start.

Even if an application is allocated first, it does not mean it will be decided in that order. Rather, the quality and completeness of any application has a direct impact on how long it takes for the application to be decided.

Due to the high volume of visa applications that New Zealand receives during the peak summer months, they are not able to contact students before allocation if documents are missing from their visa application. If the information that we need to assess an application is missing, the application may be declined.

Students who are applying for a student visa from within New Zealand must include their tuition fee receipt upfront, or their application may be declined.

Due to the high volume of applications from October to February, we recommend that you apply at least 3 months before you intend to travel to New Zealand.

International students need to apply for a paying Student Visa to study full-time in New Zealand. They will need to pay the full cost of your courses and enroll with an approved education provider. They can work part-time up to 20 hours a week while studying or full-time in the holidays, depending on their visa conditions.