The New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) and the Ministry of Education’s zero‑fee Teaching International Qualification Assessment (IQA) initiative has concluded, marking the end of a programme that supported overseas‑trained teachers to enter the New Zealand workforce.
The initiative offered eligible applicants the opportunity to have their overseas teaching qualifications assessed by NZQA at no cost. There are currently no plans to reintroduce the initiative.
Since its launch in 2022, the zero‑fee initiative generated significant interest from qualified teachers looking to move to Aotearoa New Zealand. Originally capped at 2,400 applications, an additional round of 1,200 were announced in October 2023, with up to 200 applications accepted each month until the allocation was filled.
With the initiative now complete, standard fees apply for new Teaching IQA applications. Information about applying for a Teaching IQA, including current fees and eligibility requirements, is available on this page.