International Students
NSAC welcomes international students and is available to help answer your questions and provide you with a range of services and support while you are studying with us. This includes information about our facilities, enrolment processes, assistance with visa requirements and accommodation arrangements. We run a thorough orientation programme and throughout your training you will have the opportunity to enjoy social activities and functions.Â
We encourage you to get involved with as many activities both at the airfield and off while you are here. We have contacts with other aviation and community organisations – if you have a question, we should be able to help or be able to put you in touch with the right people.
Leaving Your Country
Once you have received your Offer of Place there are still a number of things that you need to do to confirm and prepare for study at NSAC. View our checklist which is at the back of the Student Handbook, or ask for a copy, and make sure you have everything in place before you leave your country.
Arriving in New Zealand
Once you have arrived in New Zealand you need to get to NSAC. If you would like to be picked up, you will need to arrange this before leaving your country. For more information, including customs and immigrations procedures refer: Customs New Zealand and Immigration New Zealand.
Orientation
Once you are in New Zealand you will be guided through an orientation or induction process before your course commences. Also recognising that the induction is an ongoing process giving out information at relevant times.
WHAT IS THE CODE OF PRACTICE?
The “Education (Pastoral Care of International Students) Code of Practice 2016” (The Code) sets out the minimum standards of advice and care that provides a framework for services delivered by and expected of educational providers and their agents with respect to international students.
When students from other countries come to study in New Zealand, it is important that those students are well informed, safe and properly cared for.
An ‘International Student’ is defined as a foreign student studying in New Zealand.
The Code applies to pastoral care and provision of information only, and not to academic standards
The Code ensures that:
- High professional standards are maintained
- The recruitment of International Students is undertaken in an ethical and responsible manner
- Information supplied to International Students is comprehensive, accurate and up-to-date.
- Students (or in the case of under 18 year olds, their parents/guardian) are provided with all the information they need prior to entering into any commitments
- Contractual dealings with international students are conducted in an ethical and responsible manner
- The particular needs of international Students are recognised and supported
- International students are in safe accommodation
- All providers have fair and equitable internal procedures for the resolution of International Student grievances
WHO DOES THE CODEÂ APPLY TO?
The Code applies to all education providers in New Zealand with enrolled International Students. The Code is mandatory to these providers and must be signed by them. Signatories to the Code undertake an annual self-review of their processes and procedures relating to the Code and attest to the compliance with the Code to the Code Administrator.
HOW DO I FIND A COPY OF THE CODE?
The Code of Practice is available from:
Leigslation.govt.nz
NZQA Code of Practice
WHAT DO I DO IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG?
If you have concerns about how your education provider has treated you, or how the agent of the education provider has treated you, you must first contact the person who has been identified to you as someone that you can approach about complaints at your organisation. The Code requires all providers to have fair and equitable internal grievances procedures for students and you need to go through these internal processes before you can take the complaint any further. View NSACÂ Grievance Procedures.
If your concerns are not resolved by the internal grievances procedures, you can contact the Code Administrator (NZQA) or the agency contracted to manage student complaints on their behalf.  The agency appointed to manage student complaints is an independent body who manage complaints from international students about the pastoral care aspects of advice and services received from their education provider or the provider’s agents. They have the power to recommend sanctions on education providers who have committed a breach of The Code that is not a serious breach.
The agency will refer complaints that are not about pastoral care to another regulatory body if appropriate. The education provider will be given a reasonable time to remedy the breach. If the breach is not remedied within the stipulated timeframe the agency will refer the complaint to the Code Administrator for further action. The agency provides annual reports to the Code Administrator on its activities.
Am I eligible to work in New Zealand while studying?
Students may be able to work part-time, up to 20 hours per week, and full-time (40 hrs) during scheduled holidays on a student visa.
There are a number of requirements that students must meet to be able to work while studying – Immigration New Zealand has full details here.
You need an Inland Revenue Department (IRD) number before you are able to work. Visit the IRD website for forms www.ird.govt.nz for more information.
Remember that you must not undertake employment in New Zealand until you have permission from the New Zealand Immigration Service.
For minimum wage or workers rights information, click here.
STUDENT VISAS / IMMIGRATION
All International students must have a valid visa while in New Zealand, and it is your responsibility to ensure that you have a valid student visa at all times.
Immigration NZ (INZ) website https://www.immigration.govt.nz/secure/default.htm
We strongly advise you do not make any travel arrangements before your visa has been issued.
POLICE CERTIFICATE
All international students who wish to study in New Zealand are required to be of good character. Sometimes INZ requires you to submit a police certificate from your home country when applying for a visa for the first time. Police certificates are normally valid for three (3) years after they are presented to INZ.
There is a “Specific Country Procedures” about how to obtain a police certificate from your home country. Please click here. Additionally, check out the Immigration New Zealand website for more details.
MEDICAL CERTIFICATE
Medical certificates are normally valid for three (3) years. INZ will contact you if further tests are required.
MEDICAL AND TRAVEL INSURANCE
International students must have appropriate and current medical and travel insurance while in NZ. Refer to: http://www.nzqa.govt.nz Link insurance for international students.
WHAT SHOULD I DO IF MY VISA HAS EXPIRED?
If you are still enrolled, you will have to apply for your student visa through your nearest INZ Branch. NSAC will issue you a statement of enrollment letter to prove that you are an enrolled student.
WHEN SHOULD IÂ APPLY FOR A VARIATION OF CONDITION?
Your visa sticker should at all times meet the conditions stated therein such as your programme of study, organisation and location, otherwise the INZ has the right to cancel your student visa
If you intend to enrol in a different study programme, organisation, university or campus location, you need to apply for a variation of condition at your nearest INZ Branch or apply for a whole new visa. If your visa does not allow you to work, you may also apply for the variation of condition which will permit you to work up to twenty hours per week and full-time during the summer break.
New Zealand is a great place to live, study and work. We have useful tips and advice on what to bring, personal safety, transport, accommodation, studying and the cost of living in Auckland, New Zealand.
The New Zealand Government’s website New Zealand Now has lots of information to prepare you for living and studying in New Zealand.
Renting / accommodation
NSAC is not responsible for accommodation but we can offer advice and support to students living in or wanting to live in private accommodation and help find temporary accommodation according to your needs, until you establish your own living situation. We can help you with knowing where to find accommodation, plus what to be aware of when renting in New Zealand. Please contact us for more information.
Renting and you  is a guide to the law and renting in New Zealand and contains information about your rights and obligations when renting a property in New Zealand.
Contact us for further guidelines about accommodation procedures and options.
Homestay or boarding house Accommodation
Homestay accommodation is when a student lives with a local family in the family’s home. Homestay is a unique experience which can give an opportunity to practice English and learn about New Zealand or Kiwi way of life, in a safe and supportive environment.
Boarding House accommodation allows students to live in good quality accommodation at an affordable rate, with the flexibility of either short or long term tenancies.
All approved homestay and boarding house accommodation is compliant with the Education (Pastoral Care of International Students) Code of Practice 2016
Budgeting
In addition to your compulsory tuition fees, you will also have to pay for:
- rent or board
- food
- power
- internet
- course-related costs (eg. books, laptops, etc)
- mobile phone
- public transport or car costs (eg. petrol, registration, warrant, parking, insurance, maintenance)
- entertainment
- toiletries/cosmetics
- dentist/doctor bills (your health insurance will cover most of it)
- clothes
Studying and living costs provides information on starting study and living costs while studying
NZ Ready is a useful planning tool to help you move and settle in New Zealand.
OTHER USEFULÂ LINKS
Auckland is New Zealand’s biggest and most diverse city. Around a third of the population lives here – about 1.4 million people – made up many different cultures and nationalities. Auckland is also the largest Polynesian city in the world.
ENTERTAINMENT
As New Zealand’s largest city, there are festivals, concerts, sports tournaments and cultural events throughout the year. Aucklanders take their food and drink seriously too. You’ll be spoilt for choice with laid back cafes, great coffee, fine dining restaurants, vineyards and farmers’ markets. Visit www.aucklandnz.com for more info.
CLIMATE
Auckland has a mild climate with four seasons. Summer is warm with temperatures between 20 – 28ºC, and it rarely drops below 6ºC in the winter. The ski slopes of Mt Ruapehu are only a four-hour drive away so you can still get your snow fix. Spring and autumn are changeable and windy, and temperatures range from 15 – 20ºC. Visit www.metservice.com for up-to-date New Zealand weather and climate reports.
TRANSPORT
Auckland has a bus and rail network, which can take you all over the city. Check the Auckland Transport site to plan your journey.
SCENERY
It’s an environment where everyone lives within half an hour of beautiful beaches, forests and native bush. In the west, rainforest covered hills meet the sea on dramatic black sand beaches. In the east you can soak up the sun on golden sandy beaches in the shade of pohutukawa trees. To the north there are rolling hills of farmland and vineyards, and in the south you’ll find botanical gardens, unspoilt forest and peaceful bays to explore.
You can get a spectacular view of Auckland from one of the many volcano cones dotted around the city, or take a ferry trip to climb the area’s most iconic volcano, Rangitoto.
For more information about New Zealand take a look at the official travel website:Â www.newzealand.com.
Quality Assurance
New Zealand Qualification Authority (NZQA)
NZQA assesses the standard of education for tertiary education organisations through a regular system of external evaluation and review (EER). Through periodic EER, tertiary education organisations are held accountable to their students, employers, funders, quality assurance bodies and other interested parties.
NOTE North Shore Aero Club Incorporated is a NZQA Category 1 Provider, last assessed at the External Evaluation and Review (EER) dated 10 November 2022. The EER report can be found here.
In accordance with The Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021, our latest code self-review can be found here (Link 1, Link 2).
The Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand (CAA)
CAA was established in 1992 as a crown entity under the Civil Aviation Act 1990. They are responsible to the Minister of Transport, and governed by the ‘Authority’, a five-member board appointed by the Minister to represent the public interest in civil aviation.
The role of CAA is to see that aviation participants meet the standards set by the Minister of Transport in the public interest. Â
Aviation Safety Advisers travell the country and are responsible for certificating and monitoring aviation ‘participants’ – that is, people and organisations holding an aviation document, for example, a licence to fly.
NSAC has a Standard Aviation Training Organisation Certificate under rule Part 141.Â
Information on the Civil Aviation Authority and Part 141 can be found at: www.caa.govt.nz