Residency requirements

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.