Visas for international students - Ngā pane uruwhenua mā ngā tauira nō tāwāhi

Before applying for your first student visa, you need to have:

• accepted an Offer of Place from Massey
• paid all of your tuition fees.

You can apply for a visa online with INZ. Start your application as early as possible, as it may take a few months, depending on factors such as your nationality and health.

Once you arrive in New Zealand and before the semester begins, bring your visa and passport to Massey's Campus Information Services Mōhiohio.

Apply for a visa at INZ

Documents from Massey for your application

When you apply for your first student visa, you need to give copies of the following documents from Massey to INZ.

• Offer of Place – we email this to you.
• Receipt of Payment – log in to the student portal and go to the Messages section to download the receipt.

As an international student returning to study at Massey, you may need to renew your student visa. If you have not given the details of your new student visa to Massey before your current student visa expires, this may affect your enrolment at Massey.

Once you receive a renewed student visa, make sure all the details are correct. Send your student visa to Massey:

• within 2 working days of your visa's issue date
• before your current student visa expires
• to make sure you can continue studying.

Email the details of your new visa to visa@massey.ac.nz

What you need to renew your visa

To renew your student visa, you need to show INZ that you:

• are still enrolled as a student at Massey
• have passed your courses
• have paid your tuition fees for the next 1 year, or 1 qualification, whichever is shorter
• have attended your course (only if you are studying pre-degree qualifications for international students)
• meet all the conditions of a student visa.

Check student visa conditions – INZ

Documents from Massey

You need to upload scanned documents or electronic documents from Massey when you apply online to renew your student visa.

Download the following documents from the student portal for your renewal application.

• Confirmation of Enrolment – select All Messages.
• Statement of Account – select the Fees and Finance tab.
• Academic record – select the Results and Exams tab, then Academic Records to download your Study History Report.

Log in to the student portal

When to renew your student visa

You need the results of your assessments when applying to renew your visa. You can start your visa application before you get your results. Once you get your results, upload them and submit the completed application.

INZ take around 6 weeks to renew a student visa, so apply as soon as possible.

It is your responsibility to make sure you have a valid visa to be in New Zealand.

If you have any questions about renewing your student visa, email visa@massey.ac.nz

How to renew your visa

Log in to the INZ website, choose the visa you want to apply for and fill out the online application.

Apply for a visa at INZ

Part-time students

If it is your last semester and you will be studying part-time, you must tell INZ.

Ask an academic adviser for a confirmation letter to submit when you apply to renew your student visa.

Find out about our academic advisers

Pathway or pre-degree qualifications

If you have been studying a pathway or pre-degree qualification, you need to submit an attendance record.

Ask a member of the Massey University College office for a copy of your attendance record.

Email muc@massey.ac.nz

PhD or doctoral research

If you are researching a PhD or doctoral thesis, you also need to submit the following documents with your renewal application:

• Doctoral confirmation letter (supervisor's letter) – giving your supervisor's name and contact details, your thesis title and expected dates of your thesis submission and completion, up to 6 months apart.
• Latest 6-month progress report.
• Thesis proposal.
• CV or resume.

Log in to the student portal and go to the Research tab to request a doctoral confirmation letter.

You need to change your visa if you change what, where or how you study.

Changes that affect your student visa include:

• completing your qualification
• changing your qualification
• changing the place of study – another Massey campus, another university or education provider
• studying part-time
• deferring your qualification – taking a break from studying and returning to study later
• withdrawing – stopping studying.

It is your responsibility to:

• tell INZ about changes that may affect your visa
• apply for variations of conditions on your current visa or for a new type of visa.

If you need any advice, email visa@massey.ac.nz

Check or change your student visa conditions – INZ

Variation of conditions

Your student visa is usually valid only for the qualifications, campus and education provider named on it. You need to have a variation of conditions made to your visa if you want to change your:

• qualification
• campus or place of study
• education provider.

You must show Massey your variation of conditions before the semester starts. If the qualification you have enrolled in at Massey is not given on your student visa, you may not be able to study.

Apply for a variation of conditions to your visa – INZ (PDF, 424KB)

Part-time study

You may study part-time on a student visa if you are in the final semester of your qualification. But you can only do this once and in your final semester.

You need a visitor or work visa with a variation of conditions to study part-time before your final semester.

Check or change your student visa conditions – INZ

New visa

You need a new visa if you want to:

• change to a lower-level qualification
• change from full-time to part-time study
• defer your qualification – take a break from studying for a while
• withdraw from your qualification – stop studying
• stay in New Zealand after completing your qualification.

Explore all visas at INZ

Completing your qualification

If you are about to complete your qualification, you need to apply for another visa to stay in New Zealand. You may be able to apply for a Post-Study Work Visa.

Post-Study Work Visa – INZ

If your visa expires, you:

• may be given an interim visa if you have applied to renew your visa
• can ask INZ for a new visa under Section 61 of the Immigration Act 2009 if you have not applied to renew your student visa.

Once your student visa has expired, you cannot apply for a new visa.

Everyone in New Zealand on a visa must leave when their visa expires. You will find the date your visa expires in your eVisa letter from INZ.

Interim visa

Your student visa may expire before INZ decides on your visa renewal application. If so, they may grant you an interim visa while they assess your application. An interim visa allows you to stay in New Zealand and may allow you to continue studying.

If INZ grants you an interim visa, you need to send a copy, along with any conditions, to Massey.

Send your interim visa to visa@massey.ac.nz

If you have not applied to renew your student visa before it expires, you will not get an interim visa.

Interim visas at INZ

When INZ approves or refuses the renewal of your student visa, your interim visa is no longer valid.

If INZ approves the renewal of your student visa, send us a copy within 2 working days.

Email your renewed student visa to visa@massey.ac.nz

Section 61 applications

If your student visa has expired, you need to leave New Zealand.

You can ask INZ for a new visa under Section 61 of the Immigration Act 2009, but it may take a long time to get a visa this way. You cannot be enrolled at Massey, so you will miss at least 1 semester.

If you believe you have good reasons for a special case, email INZ with the information they ask for. You cannot apply online for a visa under Section 61.

Section 61 requests – INZ