These questions and answers are aimed at education providers. They are about new insurance requirements for foreign fee-paying students which take effect on 30 July 2012 and will affect all foreign fee paying students (excluding PhD and New Zealand Aid Programme-supported students).

What is an acceptable insurance policy for foreign fee-paying students?

An acceptable insurance policy is one which complies with the insurance requirements of the Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students (the Code) and is acceptable to a student’s education provider. 

What does ‘acceptable to the education provider’ mean?

This means that Immigration New Zealand (INZ) considers it your business decision as a provider to determine what insurance policies you feel comfortable with your students having. Some providers may want to limit insurance companies to New Zealand based companies and some providers may be happy with foreign policies. It is up to you as a provider to set your preferences, as long as they are compliant with the Code.

Are students required to provide evidence of, or information about their insurance policy with their student visa application?

No, they are only required to complete a declaration in the Student Visa Application PDF [912KB] form stating that they:

• agree to arrange and hold insurance that their education provider considers acceptable, from the period of their enrolment until the expiry of their student visa, unless they depart New Zealand earlier; and
• understand that holding insurance will be a condition of their visa and that they may become liable for deportation if they do not hold insurance, from the period of their enrolment until their visa expires, unless they depart New Zealand earlier.

A student may be required to provide details of their insurance policy with their next visa application if an immigration officer has reason to believe that the student has not continued to hold insurance during the validity of their visa. 

What does ‘period of enrolment’ mean in the declaration that the student makes in the Student Visa Application (INZ 1012) form?

Many students arrange their insurance policy through their education provider and the insurance policy is often not obtained until the student has arrived in New Zealand and the enrolment process has been completed.  Therefore INZ is allowing students to hold insurance from the date that they finalise the enrolment process with their education provider, rather than the date that their visa is granted.  In many cases this will be the day the student first attends their provider and confirms their enrolment information in person.

I work for an education provider and I make sure that our students are covered as per Code guidelines. As the student now needs to make sure they have insurance cover until the expiry of their visa, does that mean I need to ensure that happens? Even if the student has finished their studies or is on holiday?

No – you as an education provider only need to follow the Code requirements.
It is up to the student to ensure that they hold insurance that covers their visa duration. You may choose to help them achieve this, but it is not an immigration requirement that you do this.  The immigration requirements for insurance apply to the student – not the provider.

If a student does not extend their insurance to cover their visa period, am I as an education provider going to get in trouble with INZ?

No – the immigration requirement for insurance applies to the student, not the provider. The student is the one that will be breaching the conditions of their visa and liable for deportation.