Study Teaching in New Zealand for a Pathway to PR

The New Zealand education system is progressive, using innovation and technology alongside traditional principles of teaching. Unless they opt for a private school, education is free, and students are generally enrolled in the school closest to their home. The New Zealand education system is ranked 23 on the PISA rankings. In particular the emphasis on encouraging creative thinking is lauded. There are 13 year levels:

• Early childhood education (ECE), usually in the form of kindergarten.

• Primary school, from ages five to twelve, years one to eight

• Intermediate school, some schools offer intermediate schooling for ages ten to twelve (year seven and eight)

• Secondary school, from ages 13 to 17, years nine to thirteen.

As of 2024, New Zealand has about 150,000 registered teachers. Despite this, there is high demand for teachers (‘kaiako’ in Te Reo Māori) at every level of schooling. While the demand stretches across the entire schooling system, secondary school teachers are in particular demand. The demand is most acute for science, math, technology, and Pacific language teachers.

In 2024, the NZ government announced plans to spend $53 million over the next four years to train and recruit 1,500 new teachers. This is reflected in the Green List of skills shortages in NZ:

• Tier one roles are eligible for straight to residency visas, while

• Tier two must work for two years before being eligible to apply for PR.

Salaries for teachers depends on what ages they teach and reflects the level of education required to qualify:

• ECE: NZ$49,000 to $95,000 a year

• Primary: NZ$55,000 to $95,000 a year

• Secondary: NZ$89,000 to $115,000 a year

Pathway for PR for International Students Through Teaching in New Zealand

1. Once you’ve completed your degree, you can then register as a teacher in NZ and gain your practicing certificate ‘Kaiako Whai Rēhitanga’.

2. You can apply for a post-study work visa, which allows you to live and work in NZ in any role while you apply for teaching roles

3. Apply for relevant teaching roles

4. Once you have a job offer, you can apply for your visa. If you are applying for a secondary school teaching role, you are eligible for a tier one straight-to-residence visa. For all other teaching roles, you will be required to apply for a tier two work to residence visa.

5. After two years on the work to residence visa, you are eligible to apply for residency.

Top Teaching Courses and Universities in New Zealand

There are multiple pathways for qualifying as a teacher in NZ and it depends on what level of teaching you want to do.

Early Childhood Education

You can complete the New Zealand Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care and New Zealand Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care. These level five and six qualifications are also a pathway into the Bachelor of Teaching (ECE).

Primary School Teaching

The three-year level seven Bachelor of Teaching results in teacher registration. After completion of the course, which includes a lot of time in the classroom, you can apply for a provisional practising certificate. Once you’ve finished two years of teaching, you can apply for your full practising certificate.

A three-year level seven Bachelor of Education is more theoretical and does not result in NZ teacher registration. If you get this degree, in order to qualify as a teacher, you will need to complete a diploma of teaching as well.

The Graduate Diploma in Teaching level 7 degree is a one year programme, and designed to be completed after a Bachelor of Education to allow you to become a provisionally certified teacher.

Secondary School Teaching

To qualify as a secondary school teacher, you need a bachelor's degree in a subject relevant to the New Zealand secondary school curriculum, such as English, geography, or statistics. Then, you need to complete the one-year Graduate Diploma in Teaching (Secondary) in order to start becoming a registered teacher.

Post Graduate Courses

• Master of Teaching and Learning

• Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching

• Graduate Diploma in Teaching

All these courses are available for secondary and primary levels. These courses provide depth to existing learning. You need a bachelor's degree in order to enrol. For the secondary endorsement you’ll require knowledge of your teaching subject (math, physics, English, geography, for example).

3 Popular Institutions in NZ for Teaching Qualifications

There are a number of institutions that offer teaching degrees. However, the following three offer the largest number of options in terms of courses:

1. AUT (Auckland University of Technology) offers a huge range of ECE, Primary, and Secondary options.

2. University of Waikato, alongside ECE, primary and secondary, also offers Te Reo Maori programmes

3. University of Canterbury is the largest provider of courses in the South Island.

An updated and thorough list of providers and their programme are available from the Teachers Council website.

Fees range across providers but generally are around $30,000 per year.

IELTS requirements for International Students Studying Teaching in NZ

IELTS requirements differ across providers, but you’ll need at least 6.0 overall with all bands 5.5 or higher for undergrad, and 6.5 overall with all bands 6.0 or higher for a postgrad qualification.

Top Scholarships available for international students studying Teaching in NZ

• Manaaki NZ Scholarships funded by the New Zealand government, for students from the Pacific, Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Caribbean

• Fulbright New Zealand US Graduate Awards

• Country-specific scholarships such as the Indian Study Abroad Excellence Award

• New Zealand Excellence Award

• New Zealand ASEAN Scholar Award for students from ASEAN nations in New Zealand

• New Zealand Commonwealth Scholarships For postgraduate study for students from Commonwealth nations

• New Zealand Pacific Scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students from the Pacific regions

Become a Teacher in New Zealand

With a host of different roles and simple and fast pathways to PR, starting your teacher career in NZ is an exciting choice. If you’re ready to apply, contact our IDP migration agents for all your immigration and visa needs. We can help with everything from choosing your institution, through to help with your visa application.

How do I become a teacher in New Zealand?

You need to get the appropriate qualification, have two years teaching experience, and then you can apply for your teacher registration. For primary teachers, you need a Bachelor of Teaching, and for secondary teachers you need a bachelor’s degree in your specialist subject plus and a post-graduate teaching diploma or masters.

Where can I study teaching in New Zealand?

There are more than 20 institutions in NZ that offer teaching degrees. The biggest providers with the largest number of teaching options are:

• AUT (Auckland University of Technology)

• University of Waikato

• University of Canterbury