visa for child of phd student visa holder

[rina verma]

Hi

I am not sure what type of visa I should apply for my daughter (10) - visitor or student. Since I am a PhD student my child is eligible for domestic status in a NZ school but then she can only get admission once she is here with me so is it that I have to apply for a visitor visa first and then again apply for a student visa in NZ? The immigration website says that children of PhD students will need student visas to enrol as domestic students in schools but then a student visa needs an admission letter so confused here. Anyone who has done this can throw some light please.

Thanks

R

[JandM]

You can apply for a student visa http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migra...yinnewzealand/ for her, filling in the form as if she herself were doing it, but then signing on her behalf. She doesn't need a letter from the school - that part applies to people who are going into tertiary education. (See here http://www.enz.org/forum/showthread....608#post514608 this recent post from Karen Phillips, who is a Licensed Immigration Adviser.)

[rina verma]

Thanks JandM

[tchu]

In similar situation, I wrote a cover letter for my child's student visa application to explain things. Everything went smoothly for us.

[rina verma]

Thanks and I assume they will issue the visa for the same duration as mine. They only issued for one year for me so I assume they expect me to renew each year in NZ.

[JandM]

Yes, her visa will match yours for duration, and yes, you'll have to renew.

[rina verma]

Yes, her visa will match yours for duration, and yes, you'll have to renew.

Thanks JandM. A cousin of mine is in NZ currently, also on a student visa for PhD with child and she tells me that she applied for student visa for her kid along with her own student visa. She was issued a student visa and the child was issued a visitor visa even though she filled student visa forms for him (he is 13)! She then went to NZ and applied for their student visas again. So fingers crossed with my daughters, guess anything can happen.

[rina verma]

Thanks JandM. A cousin of mine is in NZ currently, also on a student visa for PhD with child and she tells me that she applied for student visa for her kid along with her own student visa. She was issued a student visa and the child was issued a visitor visa even though she filled student visa forms for him (he is 13)! She then went to NZ and applied for their student visas again. So fingers crossed with my daughters, guess anything can happen.

I meant she applied for a student visa for her son again in NZ....typing quickly

[tchu]

I applied for my open work visa, and submitted my wife dependent work visa and my child student visa applications at the same time. However, I included cover letters to make things clear why we only submit this and that papers but not some other stuffs per requirements in INZ form. INZ called me, said that it would be better that I applied my work visa first, then apply visas for my wife and child later when my visa has been approved. A moment later they called again and said it was OK to apply all three, but we should be fully aware that the success of my wife and child visa would depend on the success of my own visa, I said OK then they proceeded visas for our whole family within 04 working days.

So if you still worry, maybe you should apply student visa for yourself first, then apply for your son. Perhaps in that way INZ would give out the student visa with domestic status (but not visitor visa) for your son more easily.