Study in New Zealand: Fees, Intakes, Universities, Jobs for Filipino Students

Tuition runs NZD 22,000 to 35,000 a year for most courses, with specialised programmes costing more. On top of tuition, Immigration New Zealand requires proof of NZD 20,000 a year for living costs, held separately from your tuition funds.

Not directly, but there's a clear pathway. Graduates of a Bachelor's degree or higher can apply for the Post Study Work Visa, then use that New Zealand work experience to qualify for the Skilled Migrant Category residence visa, which from August 2026 requires as little as 2 years of skilled work experience for most graduates.

The Philippines is significantly cheaper for day-to-day living. New Zealand's cost of living is high by regional standards, which is exactly why Immigration New Zealand requires proof of NZD 20,000 a year in funds before granting a student visa, that figure reflects real local costs, not a formality.

NZD 20,000 for each year of tertiary study, or NZD 1,667 a month if your course runs under a year, on top of your tuition fees. Filipino citizens can use the Funds Transfer Scheme to access these funds once in New Zealand rather than showing the full amount upfront in a home bank account.

Healthcare (especially nursing), construction, engineering, and IT are the most in-demand fields, all listed on New Zealand's Green List, which carries faster work visa and residence pathways for eligible qualifications.

A Fee Paying Student Visa is issued for the length of your paid course, up to a maximum of 4 years, or until your passport expires if that comes sooner.

Yes. Graduates of a Level 7 Bachelor's degree or higher can apply for the Post Study Work Visa, granting up to 3 years of open work rights with no job offer required, matching the length of your qualification for degree-level study.

Immigration New Zealand processes 80% of Fee Paying Student Visa applications within 8 weeks. While INZ doesn't publish a single official approval rate, most refusals stem from incomplete financial evidence or an unclear study plan rather than nationality-based barriers.

Not on the same application. Your partner or dependent children must apply separately. Partners may qualify for an open work visa if you're studying a Master's or PhD (any field) or a Bachelor's degree in a Green List occupation such as nursing or engineering; otherwise, they can only apply for a visitor visa without work rights.

Your living costs can be covered by yourself, a sponsor (an organisation or individual, including family or friends), or a guarantor who completes a Financial Undertaking for a Student form and provides evidence of their own funds.

Only if your course qualifies. Since June 2024, partners of students studying a Master's or PhD in any field, or a Bachelor's/Bachelor Honours degree in a Green List occupation (including nursing and engineering), can apply for an open work visa. Other course levels only qualify your partner for a visitor visa.

Yes. You can reapply after addressing the reasons for refusal, most commonly incomplete financial documentation or an unclear study plan. There's no set penalty period for reapplying, but a fresh Offer of Place and updated evidence strengthen a new application.

New Zealand doesn't publish a single official refusal rate the way some countries do, but Immigration New Zealand notes that most declines come down to insufficient funds, an incomplete Offer of Place, or unclear genuine intentions to study, all avoidable with careful preparation.

Yes, through a new application addressing the original refusal reasons. Immigration New Zealand doesn't offer a formal appeal for most student visa declines, so a corrected reapplication with stronger evidence is the standard route back in.

The most common reasons are incomplete or inconsistent financial documentation, CAS discrepancies (mismatched names, dates, or course details), and unclear or unconvincing study plans. Genuine, well-documented applications rarely fail on these grounds.

No country is outright banned, including the Philippines. In March 2026, the Home Office introduced an emergency brake affecting nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar, and Sudan specifically, following a sharp rise in asylum claims from students on study visas from those countries. This doesn't affect Filipino applicants.

For the year ending December 2025, the UK Home Office recorded a 4.1% refusal rate across all sponsored study visas (18,434 refusals out of 444,905 decisions), meaning roughly 96% of applications were approved.

Submit a genuine CAS with matching details across all documents, show maintenance funds held for the full 28-day period, and make sure your course and career plan are consistent and well explained. Most refusals are avoidable with careful preparation rather than being about eligibility.

The £558 application fee is non-refundable. The Immigration Health Surcharge, however, is automatically refunded in full if your visa is refused, since you weren't granted the immigration permission it was paid for.

Undergraduate applicants need completed Senior High School (Grade 12) under the K-12 curriculum and an accepted English test score, typically IELTS 6.0 to 7.5 depending on the course. Postgraduate applicants need a recognised Bachelor's degree and a higher English score, generally IELTS 6.5 to 7.0.

Yes. Student visa holders can work up to 20 hours per week during term time and full-time during scheduled breaks.

Yes. Most Filipino students need a Student visa, which requires a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) from your university, proof of funds for tuition and living costs, and the Immigration Health Surcharge.

Not directly. Graduates first move onto the Graduate Route visa, then typically switch to a Skilled Worker visa with employer sponsorship, which counts toward the years of UK residence generally required for settlement (Indefinite Leave to Remain).

Yes, beyond the fully funded Chevening and Commonwealth awards. University-specific scholarships, such as GREAT Scholarships (worth around £10,000) and individual university merit awards, are also open to Filipino applicants and typically cover a partial share of tuition rather than the full cost.