This is an area of interest for a lot many of our customers. So a typical situation may be that an overseas student who arrives in NZ and gets the firsthand experience of the course that he or she has enrolled in, perhaps the experience is a bit underwhelming.
In a lot many situations the overseas student may find that the course that he or she has enrolled in is not really that he or she may like to study and the student would like to change to another course or education provider.
What options does one have in this scenario?
For this discussion we are only dealing with the immigration aspects of the situation. This post is being written in accordance with the immigration policy in place as of date.
A student who wishes to change his or her course will need to apply for either a variation of conditions or a further student visa, however the above will be granted only if an immigration officer is satisfied that
a) The applicant meets the student requirements (please note that the term student requirements encompasses a lot of details like having a valid enrollment, accommodation, funds etc. all the details of which are beyond the scope of this discussion however we are happy to advise you for your specific situation).
b) The applicant has not breached their visa conditions, the original student visa would have been given for the purposed course and education provider and
c) The applicant is a bona fide applicant.
The relevant factors that the immigration officer will consider among other things are
a) The time elapsed since the original visa was granted
b) Whether the level and subject are of the proposed programme of study are significantly different from original programme of study
c) Notes about the previous applications including the advice from the issuing branch.
d) Students who have received NZ Aid programme scholarship within 2 years prior to their application to change their programme of study or education provider being made must provide evidence that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade supports the change of programme or study and / or education provider and that the funding continues.
e) Evidence of payment of tuition fees after the application has been approved in principle.
There are a lot of things to consider while you make a change of course or education provider and depending upon the complexity of your situation, It may be useful to seek professional help.