2015-Feb 20: U3.10 Acceptable evidence of paying tuition fees

Visa Pak 199: Guidance for staff on what is acceptable evidence that tuition fees have been paid, including receipts, letters from the education provider, or other documents.

Visa Paks

20 February 2015

U3.10 Acceptable evidence of paying tuition fees

Under immigration instructions U3.10, student visa applicants must provide evidence of exemption from tuition fees, payment of tuition fees, or a notice of the award of a full New Zealand Aid Programme scholarship. This article provides clarification on what constitutes acceptable evidence of paying tuition fees as required by these instructions, looking at receipts from trust accounts specifically.

Background

All private training establishments registered with the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) are required to have some form of protection for fees paid to them in advance by students. This is to ensure that the student receives a refund of the fees (or a portion of the fees) paid if the training provider is unable to complete the course, for example due to closure, insolvency or loss of NZQA accreditation.

In practice this means that the fees are deposited into a trust account; the trust then pays the fees to the provider gradually throughout the duration of the student’s course.

Acceptable evidence

The following documents may be accepted as evidence of payment of tuition fees:

  • Fee receipt issued by the New Zealand education provider.
  • Letter or email issued by the New Zealand education provider confirming that tuition fees have been paid and the amount.
  • Receipt/certificate issued by the New Zealand Public Trust. An example is included below.

A receipt from the New Zealand Public Trust may be accepted, and would be sufficient to meet U3.10(a)-ii. The trust has been approved by the NZQA as a supplier of student fee protection arrangements.

Receipts from offshore trust accounts, including trust accounts for education or travel agents are not acceptable evidence of paying tuition fees, and would not be sufficient to meet U3.10(a)-ii. They are not approved by the NZQA and there is no guarantee that the money will reach the provider.

Further information about student fee protection rules, including a list of approved suppliers, is available on the NZQA website: http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/providers-partners/approval-accreditation-and-registration/student-fee-protection/

Please discuss the above information with your staff.