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  1. Home
  2. About StudyLink
  3. Glossary
  4. Residency requirements

About StudyLink

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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.

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