Important New Zealand Student Visa Questions: You Should Know

by Rita Biswas Consultant

While processing for your visa, the visa interview is one of the crucial stages that the student should be proactive, prepared and confident about. After fulfilling all the New Zealand student visa requirements, the students receive a telephonic interview for New Zealand Student Visa from the visa officer that checks a valid interest and authenticity of application.

The questions are based on the aspects below:

· Personal details – Name, parents name, hobbies, any friends of relatives in New Zealand

· Academic details – Academic history, latest qualification and scores

The regular students should be well prepared to answer their own academic history, subject details studies, marks scored and subjects of interest.

· Details of the course you applied for – course name, start date, end date, name of the institution, tuition fees, other expenses, names of coordinator, name of the professors, names of subjects, any scholarship received

· Financial arrangement details – sponsor details, parent’s/ guardian’s occupational details

· Personal arrangements while in New Zealand – Stay arrangement, travel arrangements, travel dates, duration of stay, work plans, return plans

While you prepare on these topics, students often get confused with a few typical but important questions, that are crucial to get your New Zealand Student visa. Below is a brief idea about them to help you crack your visa interview.

1. Do you have any relatives in New Zealand?

It is suggested that you do not show any details of your relatives if possible. That is one of the most important understanding for the visa officer to know, which indicates that you will not stay for a long time in the country.

2. Why do you want to study in New Zealand, and not any other country?

You should talk about the education standards provided in New Zealand, any particular valid comparative aspects about the country in terms of education that are not available or affordable in other countries. (New Zealand has the 2% of the top world universities) (Cost of education in universities is comparatively lower, easier and student friendly environment and support from the university) Such points indicate your logical choice for the country.

3. How did you apply to this college/ university?

You can tell that you applied yourself online after exploring some institutes based on your particular career needs. You can mention your coordination with the university coordinator and any communication written or telephonic if you had any.

4. Why did you apply for this college/ university, why not others in New Zealand?

You can mention the rankings and achievements of the college/ university so far, any reviews or programs that are specifically taught there only, any scholarship that you are eligible for, any placement or internship opportunities that are included in your program to gain professional work experience. Mentioning such points creates a strong desire and enthusiasm as a student to study in that institution and you are well aware of the facts and details.

5. How will you manage your stay and accommodation?

You can mention the benefits of staying in the campus accommodation or close to the campus. You can also mention that in the campus would allow you learn different cultures and make more friends to study and stay together.

6. Why have you selected this particular course?

If you are taking a bachelor’s degree program, you can mention your future career plans relating your ideas, subjects in the course and future work opportunities with the help of the degree. If you have applied for your master’s degree program, you can mention the link of your bachelor’s degree and the chosen course, how it will help you to take your future work or take up a higher position after the degree. Such relevance and link to future career, will show your clear intention of studying and attending classes regularly without any mischief making intentions.

7. Have you applied to other college/ universities?

You may mention one or two other colleges/ universities, but you were more interested to take admission here, and coincidently you got through the admission first. So, you didn’t follow up with other institution, or you got a scholarship or fee waiver because of your academic merit, or you are offered some benefits that are not available elsewhere.

8. Why didn’t you take the course in your country?

Here you need to be very careful when you give the comparison of studying in your country and in other country. You need to mention the quality of education, university ranking, global exposure of education, global work exposure due to placement/ internship available.

9. Will you work while you are studying?

You can mention you might work if you have any field work assignments or projects to be submitted. You can also mention that your main vision to have a good academic career and working would distract you from your goals, hence you are in no plans to work while you are studying.

10. Will you stay and work in New Zealand after the completion of your course?

You should be mentioning a negative interest mostly. You can mention that 3 years or 4 years is a long time to decide whether you would stay in New Zealand. And the first preference for you would be to return to your home country after so many years. You can also mention that you have selected the course on the work trends present in your country, hence you are in no plan to stay in New Zealand.

11. Why are you interested to study in New Zealand as you were already working?

Candidates with work experience are usually asked this to check the real interest in studying. The reason to quit work and study is considered that the candidate is more interested to work in New Zealand and has opted for the course only to stay in New Zealand. To check the authenticity of the reason to travel, the visa officer may ask the actual work responsibilities, and how the candidate connects the course selected. This can be the trickiest question if not answered correctly with proper relativity. Because, the age of the candidate, many years of work history can cause doubts for the visa officer.

To study abroad student visa requirements are very specific, hence one has to be careful while applying and appearing for the visa interview as well

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