Post-study Work Visa

Post-study work visa provides an opportunity to international students to gain valuable work experience after completing their qualification in New Zealand. It also opens up the possibility of securing residence visa to those who wish to settle in New Zealand through study-to-work-to residence pathway. Check out the following and Contact Us if you wish to apply for post-study work visa:

ELIGIBILITY FOR POST-STUDY WORK VISA

If you applied for student visa on or after 12 May 2022, you must:

have an Acceptable Qualification; and
meet Requirements for grant of post-study work visa

to qualify for post-study work visa.

ACCEPTABLE QUALIFICATIONS FOR POST-STUDY WORK VISA

You must have the following qualifications:

Any degree or higher qualification at Level 7 or above studied full-time in New Zealand for at least 30 weeks;
An eligible qualification at Level 4 to 7 (non-degree), studied full-time in New Zealand for the entire duration required to obtain the qualification.

REQUIREMENTS TO BE MET FOR GRANT OF POST-STUDY WORK VISA

Applicants must meet the following requirements to be granted post-study work visa:

have successfully completed the qualification for which student visa was granted;
must apply within 3 months (6 months for Doctoral qualification) after the end of the student visa for that qualification;
have at least $5,000 funds to maintain themselves;
must not have been previously granted post-study work visa.

DURATION AND CONDITIONS OF POST-STUDY WORK VISA

The duration and conditions of post-study work visa depend upon the qualification studied and the full-time study duration as under:

QUALIFICATION	STUDY PERIOD	VISA DURATION	VISA CONDITIONS
Masters or Doctorate	30 weeks	3 years	Open Work Visa – Work for any employer in any position in any location.
Non-degree Level 8 or below, requiring Occupational Registration	30 weeks	Time Spent in studying qualification Plus 1 year – maximum 3 years	Open Work Visa – Work for any employer in any position in any location.
Degree Level 7 or qualification at Level 8	30 weeks	Time spent studying the qualification in New Zealand	Open Work Visa – Work for any employer in any position in any location.
Non-degree Level 7 qualification or below	Full duration required to obtain the qualification	Time spent studying the qualification in New Zealand	Can work for any employer in any location but only in the occupation related to the qualification
Consecutive qualifications	30 weeks each individual qualification	Time spent studying all qualifications – maximum 3 years	Depends on the qualification

Study duration does not include time spent for repeating failed components and is to be determined by the education provider, confirmed through Offer of Place letter.

TRANSITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

2022 transitional requirements for those who applied for student visa on or before 11 May 2022;
2018 transitional requirements for those who held a student visa or had made an application for student visa on 8 August 2022;
Those who held either “Post-study Work Visa – Open” or “Post-study Work Visa – Employer Assisted” on 26 November 2018.