International FAQs

On your first day at SIT you will sit an English pre-entry test.  The results of your test will determine which English class you are enrolled in.

Generally, if you plan to study at SIT for more than three months, you need to apply for a Student Visa from Immigration New Zealand.  Find out more from Immigration New Zealand.

If you do not meet the English requirements for your mainstream programme at the end of 26 weeks, you can purchase extra English lessons.  Additional English tuition is NZ$2720 for half a semester, or NZ$320 a week.  We can assist with your visa renewal if required. 

SIT’s English Language Institute offers four qualifications for students.  You can gain a Certificate in English Language at Pre-Intermediate, Intermediate, Upper-Intermediate or Advanced levels. 

You may be able to work if you have IELTS 5.0 and have been provided with a Variation of Conditions on your student visa to allow you to work up to 20 hours per week. 

If you are coming to study English Language at SIT, then you are not required to provide IELTS when applying for your student visa.

If you are applying to study a mainstream programme directly, you will need to show SIT evidence that you have met the English entry criteria for your chosen programme.  You will need to provide a recent IELTS test report or equivalent. 

No, SIT has an internal English test which students sit before they go onto the mainstream programmes.  This test is free. 

However there are a couple of exceptions, with the main one being the Bachelor of Nursing and Diploma in Enrolled Nursing programmes where International students are required to provide IELTS 6.5 across all bands.  This is a New Zealand Nursing Council requirement that SIT must adhere to.

Currently our English Scholarships are being reviewed in coordination with Te Pūkenga. For now this benefit is on hold. We will post on our platforms the status of these scholarships as soon as we have news.

SIT’s 12,000 students come from many different backgrounds and parts of New Zealand and the world. 

Over 75 different countries from around the world are represented in our student body.  81 per cent are European, 15 per cent are Maori, 6 per cent are Asian and 3 per cent are Pacific Islander. 

Fifty-one per cent of our students are female, 49 per cent male. 

Twenty-two per cent of our students are under 20 years of age, 21 per cent are between 20 and 24, 33 per cent are between 25 and 39 and 24 per cent are over 40.

Currently our English Scholarships are being reviewed in coordination with Te Pukenga. For now this benefit is on hold. We will post on our platforms the status of these scholarships as soon as we have news.