MASSEY : Changes to NZ immigration

As you may have already heard, the New Zealand Government has made changes to immigration settings that impact post-study work rights for international students. 

The changes will impact people in different ways. What students are eligible for will depend on what type of qualification they gain and their location of study.

As far as students considering studying at Massey University are concerned, the main changes are:

·         Graduates of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees will now get a three year open post-study work visa.

·         Graduates of graduate diplomas will receive a two year open post-study work visa if they live outside of Auckland (only one year if they live in Auckland).

Massey University is the only university in New Zealand three campuses Auckland, Wellington and Palmerston North. We have a number of graduate diploma programmes in the cities outside Auckland:

·         View graduate diplomas in Palmerston North

·         View graduate diplomas in Wellington

The image below shows more detail on how these changes will affect all new student visa applicants from now on. Or you can view the full factsheet from Immigration New Zealand .

If you have any questions please contact Immigration New Zealand .

Changes to the University of Waikato English language entry requirements! New Zealand

Greeting from University of Waikato!

Changes to the University of Waikato English language entry requirements 

Changes to University of Waikato English language entry requirements 

The University of Waikato recently carried out a review of the English language requirements that apply to our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes for international students.

As a result of the review, the following changes will come into effect as of Monday 3rd September 2018.

Please note, all applications submitted before 3rd September 2018 will be assessed as per the current entry requirements and any applications submitted on or after the 3rd of September will be assessed as per the requirements below.  

Students applying for all undergraduate programmes (except LLB, BSW and Teaching qualifications) will require:

• an IELTS score of 6.0 overall with no band less than 5.5 (previously this was 6.0 overall with a minimum of 6.0 in each band or a 6.0 in writing for some degrees); OR

• an iBT (Internet-based TOEFL) score of 80 with a Writing score of 21; OR

• a PTE Academic overall score of 50 and no PTE communicative skills score below 42; OR 

• Achieve a B grade or better at Level 7 in the Certificate of Attainment in Academic English. Students applying for all postgraduate programmes will require: 

• an IELTS score of 6.5 with no band less than 6.0 (previously this was 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in writing); OR

• an iBT (Internet-based TOEFL) score of 90 with a Writing score of 21; OR

• a PTE Academic overall score of 58 and no PTE communicative skills score below 50; OR

• Achieve a B grade or better at Level 8 in the Certificate of Attainment in Academic English.

Students applying for the Bachelor of Laws (LLB) will require an IELTS score of 6.5 with no band less than 6.0; OR iBT (Internet-based TOEFL) score of 90 with a Writing score of 21; OR

a B grade or better at Level 8 in the Certificate of Attainment in Academic English; OR

a B grade or better at Level 8 in the Certificate of Attainment in Academic English.Students applying for Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) will require an IELTS score of 6.5 with no band less than 6.5; OR

iBT (Internet-based TOEFL) score of 85 with a Writing score of 22. Students applying for Bachelor of Teaching (BTchg), Bachelor of Education (BEd) and Graduate Diploma in Teaching (GradDipT) are still required to provide an IELTS score of 7.0 with no band less than 7.0. 

Students applying for Master of Teaching and Learning (MTchgLn) will require an IELTS score of 7.5 with no band less than 7.0. All other qualifications are considered on a case by case basis. 

These tests must have been taken within the 2 years prior to the proposed start date of the programme.If you have any questions please contact the Regional Manager for your country. 

Post-Study Work Rights Recently the New Zealand Government announced some major changes to the post-study work rights for international students. 

These changes will have a positive impact on recruitment of students into Level 7 bachelor’s degrees and above, and also seeks to ensure positive outcomes for institutions located outside of Auckland. Immigration New Zealand has provided a summary of the changes this pdf can be accessed online on the Immigration New Zealand website. The major highlights are: 

• Students studying in Level 7 bachelor’s degrees or higher will be able to apply for a three-year open work rights visa, replacing the previous option of one-year of open work rights and a two-year employer-assisted visa. 

• Students studying a Level 7 graduate diploma will be entitled to apply for a two-year post-study work rights visa if they have completed their qualification by 2021, they are in a region and they are working towards registration with a professional or trade body.

The new conditions will apply to international students who, on 8 August 2018, hold a student visa or their student visa application has been accepted for processing.  

Omega Study Abroad

Georgia, a low budget and hassle free Admission and Visa Study Destination in Europe

Georgia is a study destination in Europe where international students enjoy low tuition fees and living costs. The cost of living in Georgia is low and affordable, within $300 to $500 every month inclusive of food and accommodation. Tuition Fees vary from institution to institution but generally range from $2500 to $3000 for under graduation and is about $4000 for post graduation.

Georgia is a transcontinental country which means it is situated between Europe and Asia and continues to balance its relations between Russia and the EU. It is located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, and is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the south by Turkey and Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of Georgia is Tbilisi.

Georgia is a good study option for students who are interested in a rich cultural experience besides a low budget foreign education! Also, the application process and visa application is very easy in Georgia. Generally, higher educational institutions allow candidates to register for an application form online.

In most universities, foreign students are admitted on the basis of an interview, and only a few universities require IELTS in order to follow a degree programme taught in English. Usually, only an official document from your school attesting your understanding level of English speaking as acceptable is sufficient.

Universities request these documents for application:

• Online Application form
• The learning agreement (Register Form) –a list that includes the chosen courses
• Photocopy of the identification pages of your passport
• One passport size photo
• A transcript of records which shows your leaning achievements from your home school/university

For more information, you can visit the National Assessment and Examination Centre of Georgia: www.naec.ge.

On being admitted to a degree programme, Universities issue the following documents: Admission, Invitation letter of study, Accommodation letter & the Visa. Since it is E-Invitation & E-visa international Students are not required to go to the embassy for visa. International Students can fly into Georgia with their passport, and the above mentioned documents.

For Visa application students have to send the following documents to their university:

• Passport
• Document that verifies your legal stay in Georgia
• Invitation issued by the university where you study or a certificate issued by the university
• Documents showing your legal financial sources to manage your expense in Georgia
• Two passport size photographs.

Georgia is a unique study abroad destination, especially for students who want to avoid massive crowds of the more popular international study locations. The education system in Georgia is continually developing and attracts more foreign students to enrol in universities every year. Candidates can choose from a great variety of study options such as: business administration, travel and tourism, marketing and PR, computer science, or social science.

Specialised medicine universities offer unique opportunities to foreign students. Graduates from these institutions can easily apply for any position in health care system centres. Interested applicants can choose the language of instruction, between Russian and English and they must pass a special exam that covers four major subjects: biology, mathematics, physics and chemistry.

Scholarship opportunities for studying in Georgia include:

• government scholarships
•  private funds
•  college scholarship

The official Georgian language is a Kartvelian language, which is used in most of the Georgian universities or high institutions as a primary language of instruction. There are some universities that offer English and Russian courses, designed specifically for international students. In most institutions students can join preparatory courses in order to learn the Georgian language before pursuing the first year courses.

Medicine faculties in Georgia require students to have good knowledge of either Russian or English.

List of Georgian Universities

Agricultural University of Georgia
Akaki Tsereteli State University
Akhaltsikhe State Teaching University
American University for Humanities Tbilisi Campus
Batumi Arts Teaching University
Batumi Navigation Teaching University
Batumi State Maritime Academy
Caucasus International University
Caucasus University
David Aghmashenebeli University of Georgia

Omega Consultants

Skype: omegadirect

Email: omegastudyabroad@gmail.com

Web: www.omegastudyabroad.com