Learner eligibility – DQ3-7

Learner eligibility – DQ3-7

Last updated 4 February 2025
Last updated 4 February 2025

This page contains information about learner eligibility for enrolment in programmes funded through the Delivery at Levels 3 to 7 (non-degree) on the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (NZQCF) and all industry training (DQ3-7) Fund.

On this page:


Tertiary education organisations (TEOs) must ensure that learners are eligible to be enrolled in DQ3-7 funded programmes.

Learner eligibility requirements 

Learner eligibility verification 

You must verify a learner’s eligibility for enrolment as a domestic learner. Specific verification methods and eligibility criteria can be found in the Funding Conditions Catalogue for the relevant year

Learner identity

For information on verification of learner identity requirements, see the DQ3-7 funding conditions for the relevant year.

Learners enrolled with more than one TEO

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

Literacy and numeracy requirements 

Learners should not be enrolled in a programme funded under DQ3-7 until their literacy and numeracy skills are sufficient for them to be successful. For example, until they present at Step 3 or higher on the Learning Progressions.

Learning Progression Frameworks – Ministry of Education.

Literacy and numeracy skills can be built through programmes funded under a variety of funds, including the Intensive Literacy and Numeracy Fund, the Workplace Literacy and Numeracy Fund, or Delivery at Levels 1 and 2 on the NZQCF.

Definition of a domestic learner

For the duration of a learner’s enrolment in an eligible programme or micro-credential, you must ensure that DQ3-7 funding is only used for a learner who is a “valid domestic enrolment”. 

Valid domestic enrolment

For the purposes of DQ3-7 funding, the term “valid domestic enrolment” refers to the enrolment of a learner who meets the valid domestic enrolment conditions. See the DQ3-7 funding conditions for the relevant year

International learners defined as domestic learners 

The groups of learners enrolled with a New Zealand TEO or registered PTE who are required to be treated as if they are not international learners are outlined in the Tertiary Education (Domestic Students) Notice 2024 – New Zealand Gazette

For information on international learner work-based eligibility, see Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) holders – Funding Eligibility.

Overseas study eligibility

Domestic learners studying overseas intramurally

Domestic learners studying outside of New Zealand at an overseas campus or delivery site are still valid domestic enrolments if they meet criteria in the funding conditions for relevant year, and:

  • the learner is undertaking part (but not all) of the programme outside of New Zealand
  • the learner is enrolled at a New Zealand TEO in a programme leading to the award of a Qualification at Level 7 (non-degree) on the NZQCF
  • the study outside of New Zealand is full time and face-to-face (ie, is not an extramural enrolment)
  • the overseas campus is an approved delivery site under the Offshore Programme Delivery Rules 2022 – 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 the learner is a New Zealand permanent resident, Australian citizen or Australian permanent resident.

International learners who become defined as domestic learners under Tertiary Education (Domestic Students) Notice 2024 are included in the above settings.

Domestic learners studying overseas – extramurally

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

This includes meeting additional criteria below, if the learner is a New Zealand permanent resident, Australian citizen or Australian permanent resident.

Resources

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

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

To be classified as a domestic learner, New Zealand permanent residents (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 must be ordinarily resident in New Zealand.

“Ordinarily resident” in New Zealand means the learner meets the “ordinarily resident test”, whereby they:

  • are lawfully able to reside in New Zealand 
  • normally reside in New Zealand, and
  • 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 decide whether a learner meets the “ordinarily resident test”, use the Ministry of Social Development’s Guidelines:

Guidelines for deciding ordinarily resident – Work and Income

TEOs are responsible for ensuring that a learner meets the “ordinarily resident test” and is eligible to access tuition subsidy funding and study support. You may require 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 flexibility for the TEO to best structure its delivery of the qualification. For more details on valid enrolments and funding for study overseas see the funding conditions for the relevant year.

Overseas travel

DQ3-7 funding can only be used to meet the cost of overseas travel for learners in exceptional circumstances where overseas travel is academically essential. For details on how to determine if overseas travel is academically essential, see the DQ3-7 funding conditions for the relevant year.

International learner eligibility

Enrolment of international students

If a learner is an international student, you should confirm that the learner is eligible to attend the TEO as an international student and has the necessary visa. 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 as well, in order 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.

Section 309 of the Education and Training Act 2020 – New Zealand Legislation

Section 361 of the Education and Training Act 2020 – New Zealand Legislation

Visa approval notification

Immigration New Zealand 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 a TEO, and you can verify this using VisaView.

VisaView

A TEO can check whether a learner who is not a New Zealand citizen can study with them in New Zealand using the VisaView online enquiry system:

VisaView – Immigration New Zealand

For more information see the VisaView Guide for Education Providers. You can also contact Immigration New Zealand if you have questions.

VisaView Guide for Education Providers (PDF 663 KB)

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 the relevant year.

International learners with domestic learner eligibility

Whether or not a learner is a domestic or international learner for the purposes of fees and TEC funding is determined by their status at the time of enrolment.

The Tertiary Education (Domestic Students) Notice specifies that some learners who are not New Zealand citizens or residents must be treated as if they are domestic students.

Tertiary Education (Domestic Students) Notice 2024 – New Zealand Gazette

A learner’s eligibility at the start of a course applies until the course ends.

Permanent residence status granted mid-way through study 

Domestic learner funding can be claimed for an international learner enrolling in courses that start after the learner is granted residency, whether in the same or a different qualification.

Whether or not a learner is a domestic or international learner for the purposes of fees and Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) funding is determined by their status at the time of enrolment.

A learner’s eligibility at the start of a course applies until the course ends.

The TEO must have obtained any necessary approvals for the enrolment of international students under the Tertiary and International Learners Code of Practice – NZQA.