Learner eligibility – DQ7-10

Māraurau ākonga – DQ7-10

This page contains information about learner eligibility for enrolment in programmes funded through the Delivery at Levels 7 (degree) to 10 on the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (DQ7-10) Fund.

On this page:

Tertiary education organisations (TEOs) must ensure that learners are eligible to be enrolled in DQ7-10 funded programmes.

Learner eligibility requirements

Learner identity

You must verify a learner’s identity for enrolment as a domestic learner. For information on verification of learner identity requirements, see the Verification of learner identity section in the funding conditions for the relevant year.

Learners enrolled with more than one TEO

A learner may be enrolled at more than one TEO at the same time and therefore undertake a high study load. While this is not prohibited, identify these learners early and ensure that they are supported to successfully complete their courses and qualifications.

Literacy and numeracy requirements

Learners should not be enrolled in a DQ7-10 funded programme until their literacy and numeracy skills are sufficient for them to be successful, ie, until they present at Step 3 or higher on the Learning Progression Frameworks.

Learners can build skills through programmes funded under the Intensive Literacy and Numeracy Fund (ILN), Workplace Literacy and Numeracy Fund (WLN) and Delivery at Levels 1 and 2 on the NZQCF Fund (DQ1-2).

Valid domestic enrolment

For the duration of a learner’s enrolment in an eligible programme or micro-credential, DQ7-10 funding must only be used for a learner who is a valid domestic enrolment (this refers to the enrolment of a domestic student who meets the relevant funding conditions to be recognised as a fundable valid domestic enrolment).

International learners defined as domestic students

Some international visa-holders or other groups of learners enrolled with a TEO must be treated as if they are not international students under the Education (Domestic Student: Tertiary Education and Vocational Education and Training) Notice 2025.

Overseas study eligibility

Domestic learners studying overseas – intramurally

A domestic learner studying intramurally at an overseas campus or delivery site remains a valid domestic enrolment if they meet all the following criteria:

Part (but not all) of the programme is undertaken outside of New Zealand.
The learner is enrolled at a New Zealand TEO in a programme leading to an award of a qualification or micro-credential at Levels 7 (degree) to 10 on the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (NZQCF).
The study outside of New Zealand is full time and face-to-face (ie, is not extramural).
The offshore campus is an approved delivery site under the Offshore Programme Delivery Rules 2026 – NZQA.
The offshore campus is in an approved country on the Education New Zealand approved countries list (PDF 35 KB).
The learner meets additional criteria below, if they are a New Zealand permanent resident, Australian citizen or Australian permanent resident.

International learners who are defined as domestic learners under The Education (Domestic Students: Tertiary Education and Vocational Education and Training) Notice 2025 are included in the above settings.

Learners studying intramurally in a Realm country (namely Tokelau, the Cook Islands or Niue) are eligible to be treated as valid domestic enrolments as long as they are enrolled in a programme in 2026 that was funded under DQ7-10 in 2025 or earlier.

Additional criteria for New Zealand residents, Australian citizens and Australian permanent residents studying overseas

These learners must meet domestic enrolment conditions to be considered a valid domestic enrolment when studying overseas with a New Zealand TEO.

To be classified as a domestic student while studying overseas with a New Zealand TEO, New Zealand residents and permanent residents (NZRs/NZPRs), Australian citizens and Australian permanent residents (APRs) studying outside New Zealand (enrolled with a New Zealand-based TEO) must meet the criteria set out in the Regulations:

Education (Tertiary Education – Criteria Permanent Residents Studying Overseas must Satisfy to be Domestic Students) Regulations 2016

This includes:

that they are studying in a country they are not familiar with (ie, they haven’t previously been to the country, or they have spent less than 6 months total in that country in the five years prior to their study beginning),
they are ordinarily resident – they normally reside in New Zealand, and
they intend to remain in New Zealand (ie, they consider New Zealand to be their home).

A learner cannot be “ordinarily resident” in two countries at the same time.

To assess “ordinarily resident”, use the Guidelines for deciding ordinarily resident – Work and Income.

You are responsible for ensuring that a learner meets the “ordinarily resident” test and is eligible to be enrolled as a valid domestic enrolment. You may require NZR’s, NZPRs, APRs and Australian citizens intending to study part of a New Zealand qualification overseas to complete a declaration to confirm their unfamiliarity with the overseas country they intend to study in and provide evidence that they are ordinarily resident in New Zealand.

Note: We have not specified the amount and timing of the parts of the study to be completed in New Zealand and overseas. This is to allow you to best structure your delivery of the qualification.

Domestic learners studying overseas – extramurally

A learner already deemed to be a valid domestic enrolment can study extramurally outside of New Zealand, if all other funding conditions are met.

Overseas travel

You can only use DQ7-10 funding to meet the cost of overseas travel for learners in exceptional circumstances where overseas travel is academically essential.

International learner eligibility

Enrolment of international students

If a learner is an international student, confirm they are eligible to attend your TEO.

You can do this by either:

sighting the learner’s passport and conducting a VisaView check (see “VisaView” below), or
sighting the learner’s passport with either:
- a current student visa label or visa approval notification (see “Visa approval notification” below) – or in the case of a pathway student visa, the letter from Immigration New Zealand specifying the TEOs and courses the learner is eligible to attend, or
- a current work visa label or visa approval notification with conditions that allow the learner to study (this relates to an international learner who has a practical component in their study programme), or
- a current work or visitor visa label or visa approval notification if the learner is enrolling in a course of less than 12 weeks. For more information about work and visitor visas see Immigration New Zealand.

We recommend that you keep these records for your international learners to comply with the record-keeping requirements for tertiary education institutions (TEIs) in section 309 of the Education and Training Act 2020, and for registered private training establishments (PTEs) in section 361 of the Education and Training Act 2020 and under the NZQA Rules.

Visa approval notification

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) is moving towards the use of label-less visas. The visa is recorded electronically in Immigration New Zealand’s system, so some learners will not have a visa label in their passport. Instead, a label-less visa approval notification is sent by email or letter to the learner.

Learners with label-less visas may therefore present their visa approval notification as evidence of their visa when they enrol with you, and you can verify this using VisaView.

VisaView

Use VisaView to check whether a learner who is not a New Zealand citizen can study in New Zealand using the VisaView online enquiry system: VisaView – Immigration New Zealand

If you have confirmed a learner's eligibility via VisaView you are required to download and retain the VisaView record to comply with the funding conditions.

For more information see: VisaView Guide for Education Providers (PDF 663 KB)

International learners with domestic learner eligibility

Whether a learner is a domestic or international learner for fees and TEC funding purposes is determined by their status at the time of enrolment. Always check the Education (Domestic Student: Tertiary Education and Vocational Education and Training) Notice 2025.

If residence is granted mid-programme, you can claim domestic funding for courses that start after the learner is granted residency, whether in the same or a different qualification.

Ensure you hold any necessary approvals for the enrolment of international students under the Tertiary and International Learners Code of Practice – NZQA.