NZ PhD Student Visa, 5 Month Processing time

I am Pakistani citizen, I have received an offer of PhD (Computer Science) admission at Auckland University of Technology. The Expiry date of admission offer was 30th April, but I have deferred it until 25th July 2016.
2. I have applied for VISA on 22nd April through "Licensed Immigration Adviser"/"NZ Recognized Agent" for the Visa Process.
Remember the mentioned advisor/agent was referred by the university i.e., AUT.

3. I got acknowledgment email from onlineservices@dol.govt.nz on 9th May 2016, in that email my Client Number and PIN Number was mentioned. After that, yet I did not receive any email.

4. I don't have any scholarship.
5. My father will sponsor my entire study.
6. He had a good business, its proof is uploaded.
7. On his name, there is a land-property of worth 400,000USD, its proof is also uploaded.
8. Currently, our bank statements show 21000USD, its source of income has uploaded.
9. I am employed in a reputed post-graduated institute since 2008 till date. Salary slips, employment certificate etc are uploaded.
10. I am married, its proof is also uploaded.

My Visa advisor/consultant wrote if my applicate moves to IPB NZ then processing time will not be predicated and additional documents may be required.

Note. I have provided almost all documents discussed in the previous posts of this forum. The prepartion of these documents took almost 3 months.

Could you please answer of the following questions,
1. What percent of chances that I will get VSA?
2. Why did I not receive an email that my application moved to IPB yet? (because from previous posts, I concluded that VISA application moves to IPB within one month)
3. In how much time it is expected that I will receive a decision of YES/NO?
Etc Etc.

Please help.



we are on the same stage so it is better to communicate via emails or phone.
mian.waqasmunir@gmail.com
03447774407
 
Hello guys, This is Palak Shah from India, have an offer of place at University of Auckland for PhD in Civil Engineering. Filed my visa on 1st April 2016 through TT services, Ahmedabad. Still awaiting my visa. Its been almost 2 months. Any assistance on this will be of great help
 
I am Pakistani citizen, I have received an offer of PhD (Computer Science) admission at Auckland University of Technology. The Expiry date of admission offer was 30th April, but I have deferred it until 25th July 2016.
2. I have applied for VISA on 22nd April through "Licensed Immigration Adviser"/"NZ Recognized Agent" for the Visa Process.
Remember the mentioned advisor/agent was referred by the university i.e., AUT.

3. I got acknowledgment email from onlineservices@dol.govt.nz on 9th May 2016, in that email my Client Number and PIN Number was mentioned. After that, yet I did not receive any email.

4. I don't have any scholarship.
5. My father will sponsor my entire study.
6. He had a good business, its proof is uploaded.
7. On his name, there is a land-property of worth 400,000USD, its proof is also uploaded.
8. Currently, our bank statements show 21000USD, its source of income has uploaded.
9. I am employed in a reputed post-graduated institute since 2008 till date. Salary slips, employment certificate etc are uploaded.
10. I am married, its proof is also uploaded.

My Visa advisor/consultant wrote if my applicate moves to IPB NZ then processing time will not be predicated and additional documents may be required.

Note. I have provided almost all documents discussed in the previous posts of this forum. The prepartion of these documents took almost 3 months.

Could you please answer of the following questions,
1. What percent of chances that I will get VSA?
2. Why did I not receive an email that my application moved to IPB yet? (because from previous posts, I concluded that VISA application moves to IPB within one month)
3. In how much time it is expected that I will receive a decision of YES/NO?
Etc Etc.

Please help.

On 29th May, I received an email that initial assessment has been completed. For further processing,
1. I should submit missing documents i.e., Birth Certificate and INZ ... . But they also asked to submit some documents which I had already submitted.
2. They wrote "this is an initial assessment, we will need to conduct external verification checks. This process may take up to eight weeks time. We will not be able to make a decision until these checks have been completed".
3. They further wrote, if I unable to submit these documents on date 10th of June, then they will process my application using already submitted information.
4. Note:
4.1. It is not mentioned that my case has been assigned to any Visa Officer.
4.2. that is the second email that I received, I did not receive any email that my application has moved to IPB New Zealand like other applicants discussed in the forum.​
5. Please tell me that how much time will it take to get Visa,
and what percent of chances that I will get Visa.
 
Last edited:
Hi all,
My visa is approved! But for 1 year.
Hello diadoran, I want to ask as you already got visa. Do PhD students get time for working in New Zealand? As I have applied for visa for PhD . I have applied for loan but its difficult for me to live there without doing work with study for returning my loan.
 
Hi,
I received the PhD in NZ visa in 3 moths 15 days time. I logged the application on 22nd September 2015 and got the visa approved on 7th January 2016. I had constantly emailed them asking who my case officer was. But before getting the name i got the visa approved.
I guess one reason why I got it quick was because I applied for it while I was in New Zealand in an open work visa. Anyways I felt I would let you guys know this.. you know might get lucky sometime.
Hello Joseph , I want to ask something from you as you already got visa. Do PhD students get time for working in New Zealand? As I have applied for visa for PhD . I have applied for loan but its difficult for me to live there without doing work with study for returning my loan
 
I'd like to share my experience of applying for a student visa. I was offered a place in the University of Auckland's PhD program. I visited the INZ website and read that the processing time was 6 weeks. That seemed fine to me. 2 months later I stumbled across this forum and was horrified at the time frames students had described, wait times of 3 months? 5 months? I hadn't planned for this.

I spoke to an immigration adviser and was told to apply offline. I questioned this, surely an online application would be easier for the immigration department to process? He told me that offline would be better and that even if I wanted to to do it online, I would still have to download the paper forms, fill them up, scan them and upload them. Additionally, I would need to notarise photocopies of my original documents and then upload scans of them too. I have read this advice on this forum as well. This made no sense to me. Why would I upload a scan of a notarised photocopy when I have the original document? The notary is simply verifying that the photocopy is identical to the original. Also I saw no need to download the paper versions of the forms and upload them when the information on them was the same as the online form. I left the adviser and decided to do it on my own. I used the tts website as well as the INZ site to get a list of required documents. I scanned and uploaded all my originals. The online form had a large number of secondary document categories ranging from birth certificate to driver's license. I uploaded everything. The cost of the online form was about 18K, about 4K more expensive than the offline version. I was a bit worried doing this on my own. Every single person not associated with INZ or TTS had told me it takes months, a minimum of 2 months and to expect about 3-4. I didn't know if what I was doing would take even longer or if I had made a mistake in not uploading notarised photocopies.

It's been about 22 days since I submitted my application. I received an email from INZ the day before yesterday telling me that my visa application has been approved and my passport is being despatched. A total of 20 days means about 15 or 16 working days. Either I'm an outlier, or this happens to most people regardless of how they apply and they just don't write about it, or the online route is actually faster. I'm quite happy with this whole process, the person processing my application was very helpful, and prompt in communicating.

Now I have to hurry up and find a place to stay! I thought I had more time.
 
I'd like to share my experience of applying for a student visa. I was offered a place in the University of Auckland's PhD program. I visited the INZ website and read that the processing time was 6 weeks. That seemed fine to me. 2 months later I stumbled across this forum and was horrified at the time frames students had described, wait times of 3 months? 5 months? I hadn't planned for this.

I spoke to an immigration adviser and was told to apply offline. I questioned this, surely an online application would be easier for the immigration department to process? He told me that offline would be better and that even if I wanted to to do it online, I would still have to download the paper forms, fill them up, scan them and upload them. Additionally, I would need to notarise photocopies of my original documents and then upload scans of them too. I have read this advice on this forum as well. This made no sense to me. Why would I upload a scan of a notarised photocopy when I have the original document? The notary is simply verifying that the photocopy is identical to the original. Also I saw no need to download the paper versions of the forms and upload them when the information on them was the same as the online form. I left the adviser and decided to do it on my own. I used the tts website as well as the INZ site to get a list of required documents. I scanned and uploaded all my originals. The online form had a large number of secondary document categories ranging from birth certificate to driver's license. I uploaded everything. The cost of the online form was about 18K, about 4K more expensive than the offline version. I was a bit worried doing this on my own. Every single person not associated with INZ or TTS had told me it takes months, a minimum of 2 months and to expect about 3-4. I didn't know if what I was doing would take even longer or if I had made a mistake in not uploading notarised photocopies.

It's been about 22 days since I submitted my application. I received an email from INZ the day before yesterday telling me that my visa application has been approved and my passport is being despatched. A total of 20 days means about 15 or 16 working days. Either I'm an outlier, or this happens to most people regardless of how they apply and they just don't write about it, or the online route is actually faster. I'm quite happy with this whole process, the person processing my application was very helpful, and prompt in communicating.

Now I have to hurry up and find a place to stay! I thought I had more time.
Hey man that's really nice to hear you got your visa and that too on your own merits. Lucky you i must say. Alright now all I wanted to ask is that which department you are doing your PhD from?
shahpalak57@gmail.com is my email address if you could just ping me please. it would be of great help. As I have also applied for PhD at University of Auckland
 
Hii guys got my visa confirmed ...flying to christchurch by end of this month....it took 10 months but finally have it....
Hey man that's really nice to hear you got your visa and that too on your own merits. Lucky you i must say. Alright now all I wanted to ask is that which department you are doing your PhD from?
shahpalak57@gmail.com is my email address if you could just ping me please. it would be of great help. As I have also applied for PhD at University of Auckland
Hello,
I am from Nigeria, I applied for student visa for my PhD ( full scholarship) and also applied for my wife and son with all the required documents since 6th September through VFS in South Africa but haven't heard from them after the acknowledgement of the receipt of our applications. The decision under my application is still pending. I called VFS helpline and I was told it takes 25 working days as against 25 days on the INZ website. Please, any information.
 
Hi all
I am from India. I received the student visa within 20 days to study PhD in University of Canterbury. I am going start the course from 1st of February 2017.
I applied through an agent and the visa is processed in Mumbai.
Email me if need any information.
miamiraja@hotmail.com
 
Hello,

I am Indian, I applied recently for student visa NewZealand.

University of Auckland- Doctor of Philosophy- Scholarship

On 31st March I applied visa through TT-services Hyderabad.
13th april reached IPB (Immigration Profiling Branch) Wellington
18th april received acknowledgment letter
24th april I sent them the additional documents
3rd may I got a mail that they appointed visa officer
4th may got a mail from visa officer he said thy have requested for national security check.
18th May- Visa approved for 1 Year and will be receiving passport shortly.

I have a query that my course duration is for 3-4 years but I have received Visa only for one year, can I extend there?

my email id :sneeraj144@gmail.com

Thank you
 
When you reach there, you can extend it for 2 more years. But it should be done one month prior to the expiry of your present visa. Auckland university's International office will help you don't worry. The Indian student is given visa for only 1 year when applied visa for the first time.
Hello,

I am Indian, I applied recently for student visa NewZealand.

University of Auckland- Doctor of Philosophy- Scholarship

On 31st March I applied visa through TT-services Hyderabad.
13th april reached IPB (Immigration Profiling Branch) Wellington
18th april received acknowledgment letter
24th april I sent them the additional documents
3rd may I got a mail that they appointed visa officer
4th may got a mail from visa officer he said thy have requested for national security check.
18th May- Visa approved for 1 Year and will be receiving passport shortly.

I have a query that my course duration is for 3-4 years but I have received Visa only for one year, can I extend there?

my email id :sneeraj144@gmail.com

Thank you
 
Hi guys,

I am an Indian. I have been offered a place in PhD at the University of Auckland.

I had applied online for a student visa to NZ on Sept.30, 2017.

3rd October: Application received at Immigration NZ Mumbai Branch and I submitted my Passport to TT Services, Delhi.
5th October: Application transferred to IPB Wellington.
6th October: Received my Passport after verification.
10th October: They requested for additional documents.
11th October: Uploaded all additional documents.

The Immigration has mentioned that they would do some external verification checks that could take up to 8 weeks. Some people on this forum have replied that they got their visas approved within 20 working days, while for some it took 2-3 months. I have to start my studies at Auckland by the end of October. Is there any chance I get my visa approved by then?

Thanks.
 
Hi guys,

I am an Indian. I have been offered a place in PhD at the University of Auckland.

I had applied online for a student visa to NZ on Sept.30, 2017.

3rd October: Application received at Immigration NZ Mumbai Branch and I submitted my Passport to TT Services, Delhi.
5th October: Application transferred to IPB Wellington.
6th October: Received my Passport after verification.
10th October: They requested for additional documents.
11th October: Uploaded all additional documents.

The Immigration has mentioned that they would do some external verification checks that could take up to 8 weeks. Some people on this forum have replied that they got their visas approved within 20 working days, while for some it took 2-3 months. I have to start my studies at Auckland by the end of October. Is there any chance I get my visa approved by then?

Thanks.



Hello,

There are 50-50 chances to get your visa approved within a month. But you can change the date of registration at University of Auckland by emailing them that your visa is getting delayed and you need extension. UoA take cares of international students pretty much. If you are on scholarship the visa processing will be bit easier.
But according to your timeline the visa processing is fast.
 
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