Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Student Visa Approval Rate Jan - Dec 2015

Major student markets such as India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Turkey had less than 50 per cent approval rates for New Zealand student visas in 2015, according to full-year figures published by Immigration New Zealand(INZ).

Several other source countries including Nigeria, Vietnam, the Philippines and Sri Lanka were also below the 80 per cent threshold established by INZ last year for English language verification.

Under the new rules, Category 1- or 2-rated institutions can verify the English ability of students from countries above the threshold as they see fit, but student visa applicants from countries below 80 per cent in the previous calendar year must provide an internationally verified English language exam.

India, New Zealand's second largest student recruitment market, had an approval rate of 49 per cent in 2015. Nonetheless, there was a still a significant overall increase in student visas issued to Indian students, as recently reported in the full-year student visa dashboard data published by Education New Zealand.

Bangladesh had a success rate of 19 per cent, meaning some 1,354 applications were denied. Only 46 per cent of student visa applicants from Nepal were successful, Pakistan had an approval rate of 32 per cent, and Turkey - albeit with relatively small numbers - had only 25 per cent approved.

The full list of approval rates is on the INZ website.

By Matthew Knott

News Editor

Immigration New Zealand selects TT Services

Tuesday, 2 February 2016, 4:41 pm
Press Release: TT services

Immigration New Zealand selects TT Services as service delivery partner

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has once again selected TT Services as the preferred Service Delivery Partner (SDP) to provide visa application services in 24 locations across the globe.

In accordance with this contract, TT Services will continue to provide visa application services through its Visa Application Centres in the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, Kiribati and Nauru.

Through this partnership, TT Services will provide visa application support services to people applying for visas to New Zealand. Support is also provided via dedicated internet, email, social media and telephone client service channels, as well as application status tracking and a range of added-value services.

According to Debbie Brockbank, Managing Director, TT Services, “TTS has been a committed delivery partner to INZ for several years. With INZ we have developed a secure document management solution providing an online data entry and transfer and remote viewing capability. This innovation has removed the need to courier documents between a number of VACs and their respective INZ visa processing offices. It has also enabled us to keep the price to applicants affordable.”

As part of the TUI Group, the world’s largest integrated travel company, TT Services has invested in new technologies and service delivery solutions. The TUI Group has award-winning standards of risk management, security and corporate governance, which have been implemented successfully across the TT Services business.

“Being the incumbent, we have an unparalleled local knowledge gained from overcoming the challenges of the regions in which we operate. We are specialists in tailoring optimal operational processes, IT solutions and client service outcomes – basically international best practice – to local contexts,” said Sridhar Krishnamurthy, TT Services’ Director of Operations.

TT Services was also the first company to implement the concept of ‘Joint Visa Application Centres’ in the South Pacific. Across seven locations in the region, TTS manages visa outsourcing operations for the Australian and New Zealand governments within shared premises by combining resources, infrastructure and expertise, while maintaining discrete process and security protocols for each.

ends

Friday, February 12, 2016

Pearson Tests of English PTE

Pearson Tests of English (PTE) PTE Academic is a computer-based academic English language test aimed at non-native English speakers wanting to study abroad. It tests Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking. There is one multi-level test.

The Pearson Test of English Academic or PTE Academic, initiated in 2009, is a computer-based English language test for study abroad and immigration purposes. It focuses on everyday English used in academic environment and is authorized by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC). If you want to apply to a higher education institution in the UK, Australia, Canada, and USA or for a UK or Australian visa, you can appear for PTE Academic.

PTE Academic evaluates the listening, reading, writing and oral/speaking skills of the candidates who are non-native speakers of English and require to prove their level of academic English proficiency. It provides an assessment of the candidates English language ability to higher education institutions, government organizations and corporations that require academic English.

PTE Academic Test Overview

3-hour computer-based test (Single session)
Evaluates Speaking, Writing, Listening and Reading skills
Includes Real-life academic content
Split into 3 parts- Speaking and Writing, Reading and Listening.
Speaking part computer is computer test. Your response is recorded and sent for scoring.
You can make notes during the test

PTE Academic Format

PTE Academic is a computer-based test that assesses the listening, reading, oral/speaking and writing skills in academic English. The test is of about 3 hours.

Part1: Speaking and Writing

Speaking- This element tests the spoken English expertise of the candidates. The candidates are asked to introduce themselves by speaking into a microphone and record their response (only once). If you do not answer within 3 seconds of hearing the tone, your answer will not be recorded and you will have to go to the following element. Also, they are asked to repeat sentences and lecture and answer a few short questions.

Writing- This element tests the written English competency of the candidates. The candidate is required to summarize the written text and write an essay in any standard form of English using an acceptable spelling convention, such as, British or American.

Time allotted: 77-93 minutes

Part 2: Reading

This part consists of multiple-choice questions, fill in the blanks and re-arranging of the paragraphs. All the questions are everyday academic content.

Time allotted: 32-41 minutes

Part 3: Listening

This element tests the candidate’s ability to listen to spoken English. In this, an audio and video clip is played once and the candidate is required to listen to it and answer questions accordingly. You will need to summarize the spoken text, fill in the blanks, select the missing words, and write from dictation.

Time allotted: 45-57 minutes

Tips for the Test Prep

There are 20 different types of items in PTE Academic. You need to be familiar with such questions so as to understand each one of them and maximize your score. If you are unfamiliar with the exercises, you may score lower than you need or expect. Swot up the Test-taking Strategies available in the PTE Academic Induction pack (you get it once you register) and in The Official Guide to PTE Academic.

Registration Process

Candidate must be aged 16 or above to sit for PTE Academic. If at the time of registration, your age is 16 or 17, in that case, you’re required to submit a signed Parental Consent Form which can be taken by calling the Pearson Customer Service in your area, or by visiting the “resources” section of the official site Form.
Register

Abide by these steps:

Step 1: Visit PTE official website. Click on ‘Register for PTE Academic’ that is available on the right side of the screen under ‘Quick links’.
Step 2: A new window will pop up wherein you’ll see the Pearson booking menu for PTE Academic. Click on ‘My Account’ to register for PTE Academic.
Step 3: Fill in your personal data and all the other requisite details. Click on ‘Next’ button to go on to the next page.
**Use Roman characters while registering
Step 4: After you have entered all of your registration particulars and filled in all the requisite fields, you will get an email within 2 working days indicating your Username and Password which will permit you to access your account and book your test.

Scheduling the Test

After registering, you can schedule your test. For scheduling, log in to your account using the username and password. Then click on ‘Schedule Exams’ and a list of the tests that you are eligible to register will appear. Select PTE-A and click ‘Next’. Choose the testing location and click ‘Next’. Then choose the test dates and time by clicking on to the ‘Select Appointment’. Available test dates and times will vary depending on the location you select.

After selecting the test date and time, you are required to answer a few questions, including agreeing that you have read both the Privacy Policy and the Handbook. After answering the questions, a confirmation page will appear with all the details of the test. Print or save this page.

Testing Centres

There are PTE Academic test centres situated in around 50 countries worldwide. To know about the test centre location, visit Test Centres.

Fees Payment

Once you have completed the scheduling of the test, pay the fees. You can pay the fees by: credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or JCB) or debit card (Visa or MasterCard).

After the payment is received, an email confirmation will be received indicating the following details- test center location, directions of how to get there, and instructions or points to remember on test day.

Rescheduling and Cancelling

You can cancel or reschedule the test. An additional fee will be charged for the same. Log in to your account and click on ‘Cancel’ for cancelling the test.

To reschedule, click ‘Reschedule’ next to the test you want to reschedule. Select the date, time and location.
**An email confirming the details of your cancellation or a new test appointment respectively will be received.

Special Accommodations

You avail the special accommodation, you are required to download the Accommodations Request Form, or contact the Pearson Customer Service. Fill in the form and submit it to Pearson through email to the address mentioned on the form, along with related supporting medical or other documentation for the request to be considered. The final decision is notified to you within 4 to 6 weeks of your request.

Results and Scoring

PTE Academic Test scores are described on the Global Scale of English, a standardized numeric scale ranging from 10 to 90 points. PTE Academic scores are available within 5 working days. An email notification is sent whenever the scores are available. Log in to your Pearson Vue account to see your scores and send them to institutions.

To know about the minimum accepted scores for UK and Australian visas, visit here.

Overall Scores

An overall score is given to the candidate is based on the candidate’s performance on all components in the test. The scores for communicative skills and enabling skills are grounded on the candidate’s performance on just those elements that relate to these skills particularly.

Scores of Communicative skills: The communicative skills measured are listening, reading, oral/speaking and writing. The score range for each skill is 10–90 points.

Enabling skills: The enabling skills measured are grammar-syntax and sentence structures, spoken fluency, pronunciation, lexicon, and written and spoken discourse. The score range for each skill is 10–90 points.

**All elements in PTE Academic are machine scored.

Speaking and Writing Skills Scoring

There are two forms of scoring:

Correct or Incorrect: A correct answer will give you 1 point while for incorrect answer no point is given.

Partial credit: If your answer is correct, the maximum score points assigned to that element will be given, but if they are partially right, few grade points will be given. For incorrect answer, no points are given.

Score Report: A score report will be given to the candidates indicating their personal details, photograph, overall score, and communicative and enabling skills scores.

PTE Academic Requirements

A score of at least 36 is needed for UKBA tier 4 student visas for students wishing to study on a course or program below degree level.

A score of at least 51 is required for UKBA tier 4 student visas for students desiring to study on a course or program at or above degree level at an institution that is not a UK Higher Education Institution.

If you want to study at degree level or above at a UK Higher Education Institution, then it is the university that determines the score requirement.

Most universities worldwide require:

For undergraduate course of study, a minimum score between 51 and 61 is needed
For postgraduate course of study, a minimum score between 57 and 67 is required
For MBA programme, a minimum score between 59 and 69 is required.

Test Day Essentials

Outside your country of citizenship
If you are appearing for the test outside your country of citizenship, you must show your passport as Identification proof.

Within your country of citizenship
If you are appearing for the test in your country of residency, you are required to show your passport as a valid ID. If you do not have a passport, you can show a valid non-expired form of government issued National ID that contains your name in Roman characters, date of birth, signature and photo.

Contact Details

Website: www.pearsonpte.com. For any queries related to the registration or any other, visit the official website and send the “Contact Us” form available at the site.

Local Customer Service Team (by phone):
For Europe, the Middle East and Africa: Telephone: 44 (0) 161 855 743144 (0) 161 855 7431 (8 a.m. to 6 p.m. UK Time; 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. CET)

For the America: Telephone (toll free, US and Canada): 1-800-901-02291-800-901-0229 (7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Central Time)
Telephone (toll number): 1-952-681-38721-952-681-3872 (7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Central Time)

For Asia Pacific: Telephone (toll number) 603 8314 9652 (8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. AEST; 4 a.m. to 6 p.m. Malaysian Standard Time)

For India: Telephone (toll free): 000 800 440 2020 (4 a.m. to 6 p.m. Malaysian Standard Time)

To know about the higher education institutions and universities worldwide that accepts PTE Academic, click on the following link- http://pearsonpte.com/test-takers/accepts/
Read More:
Study in Australia
Study in UK

Sunday, January 31, 2016

ROYAL FEDERATION OF NEW ZEALAND JUSTICES' ASSOCIATIONS INC

FIND UP TO DATE DETAILS OF JUSTICES OF THE PEACE NEW ZEALAND WIDE

http://justiceofthepeace.org.nz/

Information on the location and availability of over 6,000 Justices of the Peace and Justice of the Peace Service Centres located throughout New Zealand.

Find a JP

Click here to see a list of Service Desks in your area where Justices of the Peace are available to the public in a public place at a particular time.

Otherwise please use 'Find a JP' (at left) to make contact with a Justice of the Peace (on any day) and make an appointment to have your documents completed. Search results on Find a JP are randomised. You are welcome to text a Justice of the Peace if their mobile phone is displayed.

Read our Checklist for visiting a Justice of the Peace.

FAQs about finding and visiting a JP.

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Contracts awarded for the continuation of visa support services

Monday, January 25, 2016

Immigration New Zealand has awarded two contracts for the continuation of the provision of visa support services (Visa Application Centres (VACs)) to TT Services and VFS Global for 40 locations worldwide.

The contract term is from 1 May 2016 until 30 June 2019 (with two rights of renewal until 20 June 2023). The cost of VAC services will continue to be met through a user pays service fee.

For the majority of locations there is no change for the customer except in:

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam - a change of provider from TT Services to VFS Global
Manila and Cebu, the Philippines - a change of provider from PIASI to VFS Global
Moscow, Russia - a change of provider from TT Services to VFS Global

In addition, two locations, Los Angeles and Vladivostok, will close permanently due to the low volume of paper applications and reasonable alternatives being available. These locations will cease operating by 1 May 2016.

Sunday, January 10, 2016

Immigration Checklist

Please complete the relevant checklist and submit with your application and supporting documents

Checklists

Work visa checklists

Student visa checklists

Student Visa Full Fee Paying [DOC 117KB]

Visitor visa checklists

Resident visa checklists

Page Last Updated: 11 Nov 2015

Pre-verification Information for Visa Applicants from Sri Lanka

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) recommends that people intending on applying for a student visa or work visa who hold documents from Sri Lanka apply for the verification of their documents before lodging an application with INZ. If you follow this process the visa process is streamlined and results in shorter processing times for applications.

How do clients complete the pre-verification process?

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) completes the pre-verification on behalf of INZ.

How does it work

A prospective client will following the process below for pre-verification. On completion of the verification IOM sends the report to INZ outlining their findings. IOM contacts the client to inform them the report has been sent to INZ. Once you receive confirmation that the report has been sent to INZ you should lodge your visa application.

The pre-verification process

IOM Contact Details

IOM can be contacted as follows:

Tel: 0115 933333
Fax: 0112 565433
Email: nzdvsl@iom.int

Payment Details

Prior to submission of documents, the applicant is required to deposit the verification fee of 100 USD per application (equivalent in local currency as per monthly IOM / USD conversion rate) as follows:

Bank: Standard Chartered Bank
Branch: Fort
Currency: LKR
Account Name: International Organization for Migration
Account Number: 01 3362167 01

Deposit slip from the bank will be considered as proof of payment and IOM will commence verification only upon the receipt of it. The USD / LKR rate will change monthly, please contact IOM on 0115-933333 for information on the applicable verification fee.

The IOM verification form, cover letter and verifiable documents should be addressed to:

Chameera De Silva
Head – Operations & Migrant Services
Migrant Health & Operations Center
International Organization for Migration
No 53 C, Green Path, Colombo 03

Document Submission Time(s): From 0900hrs to 1230hrs and from 1330hrs to 1600hrs on any working day except public holidays.

Upon completion, IOM will contact the applicant through phone or email and confirm the transmission of verification report to INZ. Please ensure that the applicant contact details are stated on the IOM verification application.

Verification will be conducted only on documents issued in Sri Lanka.

Only verifiable documents should be submitted (please refer requirements list for exact type of documents), any other documents including passbook copies, land deeds, civil status documents (birth / marriage/death), photo albums, business registration certificates etcshould not be submitted.

Ensure that all documents including relevant forms are placed systematically in a file or pouch, failure to do so may result in IOM not accepting the application, please refer check list for order of file submission.

Please contact IOM to collect original documents within a period of 14 working days upon confirmation of the transmission of report to INZ, IOM is not liable for any original documents / files which had not been collected within the said period.

Page Last Updated: 05 Aug 2014

New Zealand currency and setting up your NZ bank account

Remember to bring your Local debit card, Credit card and some New Zealand dollars in mixed denominations, for example $5, $10 and $20 notes. You will need to have you at least NZ$200 cash on you for your first week to cover taxis, food and other expenses.

Some popular banks

ANZ bank - http://www.anz.co.nz/personal/

BNZ bank - https://www.bnz.co.nz/

ASB bank - https://www.asb.co.nz/

Westpac Bank - http://www.westpac.co.nz/

Sunday, December 27, 2015

NZ simplifies its visas for foreign students

New Zealand is trialling a new type of visa for international students that makes it simpler to progress from one programme of study to another.

The pathway student visa will allow students to undertake up to three consecutive programmes of study with selected education providers on a single visa that is valid for up to five years.

"This is welcome news for students looking to New Zealand for their education journey," says Ziena Jalil, Education New Zealand (ENZ) South and South East Asia Regional Director.

"This visa enables students to, for example, start their study with an English language course, transfer to a foundation programme for a year, and then go on to complete a degree programme.

"At the moment a student would need to apply for three separate visas in this scenario. This news improves the New Zealand study experience - giving students more time to focus on choosing the right qualification, location of study and education provider that meets their study and career goals."

New Zealand education providers who offer study pathways in conjunction with one another will formally agree on a process to manage the education progress of their students and ensure they're supported between programmes.

"New Zealand offers a high-quality learning experience, great lifestyle opportunities and qualifications that provide skills for the future," says Ms Jalil. "We're pleased students who choose New Zealand may be able to access this pilot for a more seamless study experience."

The new visa was announced by Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce and Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse on November 27.

To find out more about New Zealand education visit: www.studyinnewzealand.com

The Nation December 14, 2015 1:00 am

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/NZ-simplifies-its-visas-for-foreign-students-30274847.html

New Zealand launches five-year pathway visa

The visa, which was identified as a priority action in the 2014 international education industry strategic roadmap, aims to simplify the visa process for international students and thus make New Zealand more competitive as a study destination.

“The industry and government believe that pathway student visas will help retain more international students and make New Zealand more competitive”

It will also make the country more attractive by granting work rights for students for the full duration of the visa if their first programme of study qualifies for work rights under existing immigration rules.

“The industry and government believe that pathway student visas will help retain more international students and make New Zealand more competitive with countries such as Australia which already offer pathway programmes,” commented Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce.

“The international education industry is already worth NZ$2.85bn in foreign exchange each year and pathway student visas are an important initiative that will help us in our goal to double the value of international education to New Zealand by 2025,” he added.

Under the new visa, international students can undertake up to three consecutive programmes offered by a single provider or a group of providers, without having to obtain a new visa.

For example, they could study for three consecutive years at a school, or enrol on a year of English language training, followed by a year-long foundation course, before progressing to a three-year degree.

The 18-month pilot period started earlier this month at more than 500 primary, seconday and tertiary institutions, all of which had an application approval rate of 90% or higher in 2014/15.

The pilot will enable Immigration New Zealand to monitor transition rates and determine how well the arrangements between education providers work.

“We hope it will serve to both attract new students and encourage current students to remain in New Zealand for further studies”

Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse predicted that it will also make the department more efficient, as fewer students will need to apply for visas each year.

“The pathway visa is great news for New Zealand’s international education industry and it sees one of the priority actions in the Strategic Roadmaps realised a year on from their development,” John Goulter, general manager for stakeholders, communications & intelligence at Education New Zealand, toldThe PIE News.

“While it’s too early to forecast impact, we hope it will serve to both attract new students and encourage current students to remain in New Zealand for further studies,” he said.

As well as the pathway visa, New Zealand has also introduced e-visas for students who apply online, as a further measure to simplify the system.

E-visas, which don’t require applicants to send off their passport, will be available to people renewing work, visitor and student visas from within New Zealand (excluding Chinese nationals), and people from visa-waiver countries applying for these categories.

Along with these changes, the country’s online visa enquiry system, VisaView, has now been extended to education providers. The online platform, which is used by employers to check migrants’ eligibility to work in New Zealand, will enable providers to check whether an overseas student can study with them.

http://thepienews.com/news/new-zealand-launches-five-year-pathway-visa/

Tuesday, December 08, 2015

Immigration New Zealand’s fees are increasing

The changes will take effect on 7 December 2015.

The changes include an increase to application fees and the introduction of the immigration levy on applicants for temporary visas (work, student, visitor), limited visas and some resident visas (unless the applicant is exempt). The immigration levy will be charged upon application and will replace the current migrant levy, which is paid by applicants for residence after they have been approved in principle. In addition to the fee increases and the introduction of a levy, a number of other changes to clarify, align or streamline fees regulations will also be made, such as removing the $92 discount that applies to some applications and there will be different fees for applicants who use Immigration Online.

Generally, there will be a lower fee for applicants who use Immigration Online, rather than paper. There will be no cost increase for a visitor visa or student visa application made using Immigration Online. Certain work visa applications made using Immigration Online will also benefit from a lower fee. The total cost for paper-based visitor visa applications will not change from the current cost for an initial one year period. This gives tourism markets time to adjust to the move to online applications.

From year two, fees for paper-based visitor visa applications will increase but visitors that have moved to immigration online applications will experience no change in overall cost.

For more information see:

Saturday, December 05, 2015

Tips for using a registered migration agent - Australia

Sinhalese - සිංහල

Consumer guide (127KB PDF)

Tips for using a registered migration agent (142KB PDF)

Subscribe to: Posts ( Atom )

News

Skills in demand

From our Blog