Nursing is also one of the few professions where they still have to pay for their own internship (going further into debt).

A doctor in training is paid while a nurse in training is not only working for free, but paying a fee to be there. Not sure if this is consistent in every province though.

hard to follow the article with only a short blurb… it starts by saying he was happy to pay for the privilege but is now complaining of it costing too much?

I think a one month extension costs $470 NZD, but I can’t tell what longer term residency permits cost (it’s probably a combination of multiple fees)

https://mfai.gov.ck/cook-islands-ministry-foreign-affairs-and-immigration-schedule-fees