Residency requirements
Our definition of residency requirements for Student Allowance, Student Loan and Jobseeker Support Student Hardship.
Student Allowance and Student Loan
To be eligible for a Student Allowance or Student Loan you need to meet the residency requirements.
For most people, this means you need to be either:
- a New Zealand citizen, or
- ordinarily resident in New Zealand and have:
- lived in New Zealand for at least 3 years, and
- held a residence class visa for at least 3 years.
Refugee or protected person, or their immediate family
If you're a refugee or protected person, you meet the residency requirements if you either:
- have held a residence class visa for at least 3 years, or
- hold a temporary entry visa under the Immigration Act 2009.
If you're an immediate family member of a refugee or protected person, you meet the residency requirements if either:
- you:
- live in New Zealand on a valid temporary entry visa, and
- can get a residence class visa with the refugee or protected person under the Immigration Act 2009, or
- you hold a residence class visa that you received with the refugee or protected person under the Immigration Act 2009, or
- you have held a residence class visa for at least 3 years and were sponsored into NZ by someone in your family who, at the time you were sponsored:
- was a refugee or protected person, and
- had held a residence class visa under the Immigration Act 2009.
Afghan evacuee or Christchurch Response Visa
You meet the residency requirements if you either:
- have a Christchurch Response Visa, or
- can get a Christchurch Response Visa but you already have another residence visa or
- have an Afghan Emergency Resettlement Residency Visa under the Immigration Act 2009.
Jobseeker Support Student Hardship
To get Jobseeker Support Student Hardship you must be either:
- a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident, or
- ordinarily resident in New Zealand and have:
- a residence class visa under the Immigration Act 2009, and
- lived continuously in New Zealand for at least 2 years at any one time since getting the residence class visa.
Extra help payments (eg, Accommodation Supplement)
You must meet residency requirements to get :
- Accommodation Supplement
- Disability Allowance
- Temporary Additional Support
- Childcare Subsidy
- OSCAR Subsidy.
To get these payments you must:
- be a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident
- normally live in New Zealand and intend to stay here.