Onshore in Australia and Thinking of Switching Migration Pathways? Still in China and Want Another Option? Study in New Zealand and Get PR — A Practical Recommendation!

Advantages of studying in New Zealand

1. A stable and safe society

New Zealand ranks 4th in the latest Global Peace Index, with an extremely low crime rate and very little involvement in international disputes — making it a veritable “paradise”. For several years running, it has been ranked by the United Nations Development Programme as one of “the best countries in the world to live in”. New Zealand’s handling of the pandemic has also been outstanding, placing it among the top performers globally.

2. A relatively low entry threshold

Studying in New Zealand has no minimum English test score requirement, and you can also apply directly for a standalone English-language visa. It also accepts younger applicants — students as young as 5 can apply to study in New Zealand.

3. Globally recognised qualifications

With a British-style education system, flexible study structures and easy transfers, New Zealand qualifications are recognised worldwide and can serve as a stepping stone for transferring to other countries.

4. Moderate study costs

High school costs around RMB 150,000/year, and undergraduate study around RMB 200,000-250,000/year, and students can legally work part-time during their studies to help cover living expenses

5. More relaxed migration policy

Compared with other Commonwealth countries, New Zealand’s skilled migration policy is relatively relaxed and offers more options — generally, finding a relevant job after graduation gives you a good chance, and processing times are shorter than in other countries.

New Zealand’s degree/qualification level structure

Work visa eligibility and duration

Two-year Level 4-6 diplomas (at least 60 weeks of study) and non-degree Level 7 qualifications (at least 30 weeks of study):

– Graduates are granted a 1-year work visa; graduates of a GD (Graduate Diploma) programme in fields that require professional registration to practise are granted an additional 1-year work visa, for a total of 2 years (for example, early childhood education).

Benefits (“perks”) for regions outside Auckland:

– Graduates of Level 4-6 and non-degree Level 7 programmes from institutions outside Auckland are granted a 2-year open work visa directly (provided they complete their studies by 31 December 2021).

Level 7 GD (Graduate Diploma) programmes (at least 30 weeks of study) fall into 3 scenarios:

– Graduates from institutions in the Auckland region receive a 1-year open work visa;

– Fields requiring professional registration receive a 2-year open work visa;

If the student graduates from an institution outside Auckland, they can receive a 2-year open work visa directly.

Level 7 bachelor’s degree and above (at least 30 weeks of study):

– Graduates can receive a 3-year open work visa directly, with no restriction on field of study

Note:Long-term skills-shortage fieldsinclude those of particular interest to Chinese international students:engineering-related fields (including electronic, electrical, civil, mechanical and environmental engineering, among others); electronics and IT-related fields (including software engineering, data management, multimedia, web development, systems administration, telecommunications network engineering, among others); and health, social work, science and otherfields.

University of Auckland

The University of Auckland

The University of Auckland (commonly known as Auckland Uni),a top-100 university worldwide, ranked 81st in the latest 2021 QS World University Rankings — New Zealand’s leading institution.Founded in 1883 and located in Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city, the university has 7 campuses and is New Zealand’s largest comprehensive university for teaching and research, offering the widest range of fields of study. It has consistently ranked first in New Zealand overall, earning it the reputation as New Zealand’s “national treasure” university — a world-leading comprehensive research university with an outstanding international reputation.

Strongest fields:Business, architecture, planning, engineering, computer science, law, medicine

University of Otago

University of Otago

The University of Otago, located in Dunedin, capital of the Otago region on New Zealand’s South Island, was founded in 1869 as New Zealand’s first university. It is a world-leading university, ranked 184th in the latest 2021 QS World University Rankings,and the only comprehensive university in New Zealand offering consumer and applied sciences, dentistry, human nutrition, pharmacy, sport, physiotherapy and surveying, among other fields.

The university hasCommerce, Health Sciences, Humanities and Sciences— four divisions in total. It currently has more than 21,700 students enrolled, including over 2,800 international students from more than 90 countries/regions. The university covers a broad range of research areas, with academic strengths including medicine (particularly dentistry),nutrition, food science, psychology, anthropology, and history and art history,among others. The University of Otago’s medical school in particular has strong research capabilities and an excellent reputation both in New Zealand and abroad.

Other well-known New Zealand universities and their fields

Auckland University of Technology (AUT):

Design, tourism and hospitality management, media, computer science

Massey University:

Management, media, aviation, agriculture, horticulture, veterinary science, food technology

Victoria University of Wellington:

Law, architecture, accounting, materials science, education, social sciences

University of Canterbury:

Forestry, engineering, fine arts

Lincoln University:

Agriculture and horticulture, landscape architecture, winemaking, tourism management

University of Waikato:

E-commerce, management, computer science, earth sciences, Māori culture

Bachelor’s degree applicants

All eight of New Zealand’s public universities recognise Chinese Gaokao results for direct entry into first-year bachelor’s programmes. If you’ve completed Year 12 in China and sat the Gaokao, you can apply as long as your score is above the first-tier cut-off line (some fields, such as medicine, have additional restrictions)

New Zealand universities also generally recognise common international qualifications, such as A-Level, IB, SAT (requires a US high school diploma), and Canadian high school qualifications, among others.

If you’re currently in Year 11 or your Gaokao results weren’t ideal, you can apply for a university Foundation programme or an International Year One (Diploma) bridging programme:

University Foundation programme:

– All eight New Zealand universities offer Foundation programmes. Apart from Lincoln University, Massey University and the University of Otago, whose Foundation programmes are run in-house, the other universities’ Foundation programmes are run in partnership with education groups. Foundation programmes accept applicants who have completed Year 11 or above.

International Year One:

– Among the eight universities, those currently offering International Year One are Waikato (Business and Science, enrolling from 2022), Canterbury (Commerce, Natural Science, Engineering, Product Design), and Lincoln University (no restriction on field of study).

Coursework master’s (Master by Coursework) applicants

Most master’s degrees in New Zealand take 1-2 years to complete. Applicants need to have completed a bachelor’s degree, hold a bachelor’s qualification, and have achieved a certain average grade during their studies — some fields also require a relevant academic background. Taking the University of Auckland’s Master of Professional Accounting as an example, applicants need a bachelor’s average score of 75 (for 211/985 universities) or 80-85 (for non-211/985 universities) in China to apply. If your score falls short, there’s no need to worry too much — New Zealand universities generally offer

Graduate Diploma/Postgraduate Diploma bridging programmes,which suit students whose scores fall short or who don’t have a relevant bachelor’s background — after completing a year of study, you can progress into the follow-on master’s programme!