Residency status or type

You're a New Zealand citizen by birth if you were born in New Zealand.

Cook Island, Niue and Tokelau students

You're also a New Zealand citizen by birth if you were born in:

• Cook Islands, including:
  • Aitutaki
  • Atiu
  • Mangaia
  • Manihiki
  • Manuae
  • Mauke
  • Mitiaro
  • Nassau
  • Palmerston Island
  • Penrhyn Island
  • Pukapuka
  • Rakahanga
  • Rarotonga
  • Suwarrow
  • Takutea
• Niue
• Tokelau Islands, including:
  • Atafu
  • Fakaofo
  • Nukunonu.

You're a New Zealand citizen if either:

• you have been granted citizenship in an official ceremony
• you're of New Zealand descent with confirmation from the Department of Internal Affairs.

You're a residence class visa holder if you have either:

• a resident visa with entry permission issued under the Immigration Act 2009, or
• a permanent resident visa issued under the Immigration Act 2009, or
• a resident permit issued under the Immigration Act 1987. 

Australian citizens and Australian permanent residents are automatically considered to have a residence class visa.

A refugee is someone who is recognised as a refugee under the Immigration Act 1987 or 2009.

You're a refugee if you've:

• come into New Zealand under the Refugee Quota system (a mandate refugee) or
• applied for refugee status under other criteria (a convention refugee).

Starting on or after 1 May 2022, convention refugees, and their immediate families in New Zealand on a temporary entry visa will be able to access student support while waiting for their residency status to be granted. If you are an immediate family member and have already transitioned to a Residence Class Visa under Refugee and Protection category you will also meet this criterion.

Sponsored by a family member who is a refugee

If you were sponsored into New Zealand by someone in your family who was a refugee at the time you were sponsored, you're automatically considered to be holding a residence class visa. If you've had the visa for less than 3 years, you need to call us to apply for any help.

A Protected Person is a person recognised under sections 130 & 131 of the Immigration Act 2009 as being a Protected Person.

In general terms, a Protected Person is someone who:

• under the Convention Against Torture, there are substantial grounds for believing that he or she would be in danger of being subjected to torture if deported from New Zealand or;
• under the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, there are substantial grounds for believing that he or she would be in danger of being subjected to arbitrary deprivation of life or cruel treatment if deported from New Zealand.

Starting on or after 1 May 2022, protected persons, and their immediate families in New Zealand on a temporary entry visa will be able to access student support while waiting for their residency status to be granted. If you are an immediate family member and have already transitioned to a Residence Class Visa under Refugee and Protection category you will also meet this criterion.

Sponsored by a family member who holds Protected Person status

If you were sponsored into New Zealand by someone in your family who was a protected person at the time you were sponsored, you're automatically considered to be holding a residence class visa. If you've had the visa for less than 3 years, you need to call us to apply for any help.

United Kingdom (UK) citizens who arrived in New Zealand before 4 April 1974 are automatically considered to be holding a residence class visa.

All other UK citizens must meet New Zealand citizenship or residency criteria.