Short answer: Immigration New Zealand (INZ) does not set a minimum IELTS or PTE score for a student visa, and a test result is still not mandatory. What changed on 27 October 2026 is how much your English counts: INZ now says English ability is a key factor in deciding whether a student can meet the conditions of their visa. Any score you have to reach comes from your education provider, not from INZ.
This post covers the English part of the change, because it affects which score you prepare for. We checked every INZ statement here against immigration.govt.nz on 27 October 2026. It describes what INZ says; it is not advice on your own visa application.
What INZ changed on 27 October 2026
INZ announced four changes to student visas, all in force from 27 October 2026. The English change reads, in INZ's words, that it "has strengthened immigration instructions to specify that English language ability is a key factor in determining if a student can meet the conditions of their student visa."
That sentence does not add a test requirement. On the same day, INZ's Fee Paying Student Visa page still said: "Evidence of English language test results are not mandatory but can help us assess your genuine intention to study." Other student visa types have their own INZ pages, so check the page for the visa you are applying for.
Why English is tied to genuine intention to study
Every student visa applicant must have genuine intentions to study. INZ's genuine intentions page says this includes making academic progress and meeting attendance requirements. A student who cannot follow the course in English is less likely to do either.
INZ says it can ask for evidence of your English language ability. It uses that evidence to assess whether you genuinely intend to study your course and are likely to make satisfactory progress. INZ names two kinds of evidence:
- an online verification report for current tertiary study, or
- results from an English language test, such as IELTS or TOEFL.
So there is no INZ score to miss. What the 27 October change does is make English ability a clearer part of the officer's decision on whether you are likely to meet your visa conditions.
Your provider sets the score; INZ checks the visa
Two different bodies look at your English, and they ask different questions.
| Who | What they decide | How English comes in |
|---|---|---|
| Your education provider | Whether to offer you a place on the programme | Its own English entry requirement for that programme, including which tests it accepts and the score for each |
| Immigration New Zealand | Whether to grant the student visa | Whether your intention to study is genuine and you are likely to meet your visa conditions; English ability is now a key factor. No minimum score. |
The two meet in your offer of place. INZ's Fee Paying Student Visa page says the offer must include a declaration, signed by your provider, that it has assessed you and is satisfied you have the English language ability and academic capability to pass the course. INZ also says that if your course has English language or academic requirements, you can provide evidence that you meet them.
So the number that shapes your plans is your provider's entry score. You will find it on the programme page or in your offer of place, and it can differ between providers and between programmes at the same provider.
One common mix-up: the IELTS 6.5 or PTE 58 you see on residence visa pages is INZ's requirement for those residence visas. It tells you nothing about the score your course needs. Our PTE 58 vs 79 guide covers where those residence figures do apply.
Which test to sit
INZ's examples of test evidence are IELTS and TOEFL, and the words "such as" show the list is not closed. For your offer of place, the test that counts is one your provider accepts. Before you book:
- check the provider's list of accepted tests for your programme;
- if it names IELTS, check which module it asks for, Academic or General Training;
- if it quotes only an IELTS band and you plan to sit PTE Academic, ask the provider for its PTE figure rather than converting the score yourself.
If your provider accepts both PTE Academic and IELTS, our PTE vs IELTS guide compares the format, how fast results arrive and the retake options.
Where your score fits in the timeline
If your offer of place is conditional on an English score, that score is your target. INZ says that if you apply from outside New Zealand with a conditional offer, it can approve your visa in principle, but it needs an unconditional offer of place before it can approve the visa. If the condition on your offer is an English score, reaching it is what turns the offer unconditional.
If you already study in New Zealand and plan to apply for another student visa, INZ says it can ask about your attendance and your progress. If you already hold a recent IELTS or PTE result, it is the kind of evidence INZ names. Whether to include it, and how, is a question about your own application, so take it to a licensed adviser.
The other three changes, briefly
INZ made three more changes on 27 October 2026. Unlimited in-study work rights for master's-by-research students have been removed, so all master's students now have the same work conditions: up to 25 hours a week during study and full-time during scheduled holidays. INZ can now suspend processing of student visas in a wider range of situations, including while an education provider's non-compliance is still being determined. And student visas that end 1 month after the course end date will now end 2 months after it; the 31 March end date is unchanged.
Those are visa questions rather than English questions. The licensed advisers at ProVisas answer them in their student visa FAQs for New Zealand, and the conditions and expiry date printed on your own visa are the ones that apply to you.
Frequently asked questions
Is an English test required for a New Zealand student visa?
Did INZ set a minimum IELTS or PTE score for student visas on 27 October 2026?
What IELTS score do I need for a New Zealand student visa?
What PTE score do I need for a New Zealand student visa?
What English evidence can INZ ask for with a student visa application?
Visa advice is for licensed advisers; reaching your provider's English score is what we coach. We teach PTE Academic and IELTS in person at our Manukau, Papakura and Hamilton centres, and one to one online anywhere in New Zealand. See PTE coaching in Auckland and IELTS coaching in Auckland for class times and prices.
Related: PTE vs IELTS for NZ visa · PTE 58 vs PTE 79 · 2-Week vs 4-Week PTE Crash Course