Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has stopped processing student visa applications for all programmes at New Zealand Tertiary College (NZTC), a private provider best known for training early childhood teachers.
INZ visa director Celia Coombes told the Indian community news site Awaaz that the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) is investigating the college. Processing was suspended on 10 November. Coombes did not say what prompted the investigation or how many applicants are affected.
"This precautionary step helps protect the integrity of visa decisions while NZQA investigations are underway," she said.
Why can INZ do this?
The power is new. Since 27 October, INZ's student visa instructions have allowed it to suspend processing when an education provider is under investigation by an education agency, not only after non-compliance has been found.
According to the instructions, a suspension can cover every application to study at a provider, only some programmes, or a group of applications that share something in common, such as the same education agent.
The first suspension lasts up to six months. If the investigation is not finished by then, INZ can extend it. INZ can restart processing once it is satisfied the provider is meeting its obligations.
Coombes told Awaaz the NZTC suspension "will remain under review and can be lifted if Immigration New Zealand is satisfied the provider is meeting its obligations". She said that decision would be informed by NZQA's investigation.
I have an application waiting. What are my options?
INZ's instructions give applicants whose processing is suspended three choices:
- Wait until processing resumes.
- Switch provider. You can give INZ an offer of place from a different education provider. Processing can then continue, as long as the new offer meets all the student visa requirements and is for the same programme, or INZ accepts there is a valid reason it is for a different one (for example, the programme is not offered anywhere else).
- Withdraw the application.
The suspension also covers applications that have been approved in principle but where the visa has not yet been granted.
In an email to immigration advisers on 11 November, reported by Awaaz, NZTC chief executive Suzanne Pearson said the suspension could initially last up to six months and that immigration officials would start contacting applicants on Thursday 12 November. She said the college would refund all fees paid to NZTC by applicants who withdraw. INZ told Awaaz that applicants can also ask for a refund of their visa application fee through its website.
What about students who already have a visa?
According to Pearson's email, students who already hold a visa can start their studies as planned, and students already studying at NZTC can apply for a further visa to continue their course.
People who have an offer from NZTC but have not yet applied for a visa have been asked to wait. Pearson said their offers still stand. The college has paused new international applications and offers.
Is NZTC the only provider affected?
No. Awaaz reports that the only other provider with a student visa processing suspension is ICL Graduate Business School in Auckland. That suspension applies only to its Master of Management programmes, after an NZQA compliance notice in October stopped new enrolments. We covered what that meant for ICL students at the time.
NZTC has trained early childhood teachers for more than 40 years and offers qualifications up to master's level, as well as health and wellbeing certificates. Awaaz reports that it had the equivalent of about 3,650 full-time students in 2021, with international students making up nearly a third.
What should applicants do now?
- Check your email and your Immigration Online account. INZ is expected to contact affected applicants directly.
- Don't book flights or pay non-refundable costs for an NZTC start date until you have a visa.
- If you are thinking of switching, check that the new provider's programme matches the one you applied for, or be ready to explain why it doesn't.
- If you are already in New Zealand on a student visa that is ending soon, look at your options early. Our guide to what you can do before a student visa runs out covers the main routes.
- Get advice from a licensed immigration adviser or lawyer if you are unsure. In New Zealand, only licensed advisers and lawyers can give immigration advice.
