Visa renewals

Find out how to renew your visa while you are undertaking your research degree at Victoria University of Wellington.

When applying to renew your visa you will need to provide a letter from your supervisor or Faculty Adviser summarising your academic progress and providing an estimation of your thesis submission date. Your thesis title and supervisor’s name must be included in this letter.

Final year doctoral candidates

If you elect to re-register for a shorter period of time (3, 6 or 9 months) in your final year, please be aware that this may have an impact on your study visa (and insurance)—if you need to renew your visa then your visa length will follow your registration period.

If you have already spent 3 years or longer in New Zealand, it’s a good idea to apply for a new police certificate and medical certificate before you seek to renew your student visa as your last submission of these documents would have been 36 months ago. You can contact Immigration NZ on 0508 55 88 55 if you are not sure about the last submission dates of your police and medical certificates.

Doctoral candidates under examination

You are expected to attend your oral exam in person. If you need to extend your student visa to cover your examination period, your visa will follow the timeframe of the exam process. While your thesis is under examination you will remain an enrolled student of the University, but you are not required to pay tuition fees. However you will still need to provide evidence that you have sufficient funds for living costs (NZ$1,250 for each month).

More information

For more information visit the renewing your visa page. For any questions or to discuss your situation you can contact the Visa Officer at Wellington University International.