Questions around Student Visa Sponsorship Rule changes.

[bharatv87]

A friend of mine started a 3 year course in NZ in 2015. He was granted a student visa for a year after he showed finance for one year. For his second year in 2016, i sponsored his student visa by undertaking the financial obligation and he was granted student visa for his second year and he has just completed his second year.
A few months ago, the rules were changed and the following was added :
Students who are in New Zealand and who are applying for a further student visa as a fee paying tertiary student, can only be sponsored if their first student visa was sponsored. Sponsorship must be by the same person or organization that acted as the sponsor for the initial visa application.

Does this mean I can not sponsor his last year of studies even though i was able to sponsor his second year ? It seems strange that an existing sponsor won't be allowed to continue sponsoring a student.

Any advice is appreciated.

Regards

[JandM]

I think you'd need to check this with INZ. I agree, it doesn't seem to make sense as it stands, if it applies to your situation, but that MAY just be because you and the student were in an existing sponsorship already when the rule-change came in.