Another one of those silly questions!!!

[vondermot]

Nice to be back, been looking after another 2 kids for last couple of weeks (and 2 nephews for 3 days, one is only 7 months and forgot how much hard work babies are) so been too busy/tired to go on computer, or even get on it with them all wanting a go.

Anyway, due to my brain not back to functioning properly yet just want to clarify something.

Am I right in thinking that oh (carpenter/joiner) needs to get sponsorship/job and obtain PR before we go to NZ in order to get "free" schooling for children or have I got the wrong end of the stick? Are international fees for those on a visitors permit, couldn't really afford to pay for 2.

Cheers

Tracey

[Alison]

I think I am right in saying that you would need to pay fees on a visitor permit, coming across on PR or a long term work visa means you would not have to. (We came across on WTR visa and dont pay fees for our son)

Will see if I can find more details somewhere.

[Taffy]

Alison is right, on visitors visas you pay international fees, and you pay domestic rates if you are on a work permit or have PR/LTBV or WTR.

[vondermot]

Alison and Taffy, thanks for that just wanted confirmation.

Tracey

[Dawn]

Hey guys let me just add something on here. We are just applying for our kids to get into study here and we've discovered a few things. We are applying for work permits so that means our kids are treated like domestic applications and we won't have to pay for their schooling but what we didn't realise is that we have to fill in an application for them to study it's a seperate form altogether and we have to fill in one for each of them. Each application costs $200 each and they have to be accompanied with a passport, a passport photograph, a full medical and an offer of a place at a school or college etc and if you don't include all of those things they'll bounce the application back.
What's really frustrating is that every time I speak to immigration for advice about something I need clarifying they give me conflicting information. One guy said that it was best for me to submit our kids applications to study at the same time as our work permit applications but the schools won't offer the kids a place unless we can prove we have our work permits and they won't issue permits to study without an offer of a school place so we have to wait for our work permits to process before we can submit the kids applications for study.
The best schools here are heavily over subscribed as well so make sure you do your homework. We have rented a house on the wrong side of the tracks it would seem. Al the zoned schools for our 5 and 11 yr old have really low decile ratings and I mean around 2 or 3 so I am going to go to the better schools on bended knee pleading ignorance, it is not beneath me to beg and I'll do a vair vair good job of it too.