Fee Paying student visa vs. Pathway student visa

[sina1308]

Hi guys,

I am looking into applying for a NZ student visa for the first time.
I got a bit confused when searching for visa options on the INZ website.
If I see it correctly I got the choice between a 'Fee Paying student visa' and a 'Pathway student visa'. The other options that were displayed do not come into question in my situation.
I do not quite understand the difference between these two visas and therefore I do not know which one to apply for. I would greatly appreciate someones advice !
Here is some information you might need.
I am a German citizen, also living in Germany at the moment.
I have 5 years of work experience in the hospitality area.
The course i would like to enrol in is a Diploma in Hospitality Management Level 6 offered at NZMA. This course includes the Level 5 Diploma and will take 2 years to complete. I have an IELTS score of 7.5. Hope this is enough information.

Which student visa would be the right one for me ?
Any help would be greatly appreciated !!!

Regards,
sina1308

[Jacq]

Pathway visas are for if you have an offer of place for a specific "pathway program" school.

https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-...tion-providers

NZMA does not seem to be on that list.

[sina1308]

Thank you for your reply !
Does this mean that if I was to apply at any of the institutions shown on this list, I will have to choose the pathway student visa and if they are not on the list (like NZMA) I have to go for the Fee Paying student visa ?
I just dont get the meaning of 'pathway'. I would like to study a Diploma Level 5 followed by a Diploma Level 6. Wouldnt you call this a pathway program as well because its two courses that build up on one another ?
Any help would be greatly appreciated !

[JandM]

This isn't about following a pathway of your choosing in education (note the small 'p') - it's about attending institutions in NZ that are part of the official Pathway system (note the capital 'p'). https://www.immigration.govt.nz/assi.../pathway-visas

[ChrisMwn]

This isn't about following a pathway of your choosing in education (note the small 'p') - it's about attending institutions in NZ that are part of the official Pathway system (note the capital 'p'). https://www.immigration.govt.nz/assi.../pathway-visas

[sina1308]

This isn't about following a pathway of your choosing in education (note the small 'p') - it's about attending institutions in NZ that are part of the official Pathway system (note the capital 'p'). https://www.immigration.govt.nz/assi.../pathway-visas

Great, thanks a lot for your help !!!