New Zealand Post Study Work Visa
New Zealand
Residency
At a glance
New Zealand's Post Study Work Visa is for people who recently completed an eligible New Zealand qualification and want temporary work rights that can connect to longer-term residence options.
- Type
- Post-study work
- Study basis
- Eligible New Zealand qualification
- Core requirements
- Qualification, timing, funds, and admissibility
- What to know
- Can help build a later skilled residence case
- What it gives
- A degree-level 7 or higher graduate normally receives open work conditions and can work for almost any employer, job, or location.
- Main limit
- It is not automatic after any New Zealand course, repeatable for a second qualification, or permanent residence.
Summary
The Post Study Work Visa lets a recent graduate of an eligible New Zealand qualification stay and work for up to 3 years. Eligibility, visa length, and job restrictions depend on the qualification's level, type, and time studied in New Zealand.
This visa can be granted only once under the current rules. It is temporary, although eligible skilled work may later support a separate residence category.
Eligibility
The applicant must recently have completed an eligible New Zealand qualification and normally hold at least NZD 5,000 for living expenses. They must meet health, character, and genuine-intention requirements and apply within the correct deadline.
Current qualification rules include:
- a degree at level 7 or a qualification at level 8, studied full-time in New Zealand for at least 30 weeks;
- a level 9 master's or level 10 doctorate studied full-time for at least 30 weeks; or
- a non-degree level 7 or lower qualification on INZ's eligible-qualification list, studied full-time in New Zealand for the full required duration.
The usual application deadline is 3 months after the student visa ends. It is 6 months for a doctorate and can be 12 months for a qualifying first program immediately followed by a higher program completed in under 30 weeks. The exact rule should be checked against the study sequence.
Visa length can be up to 3 years. Master's and doctoral graduates who meet the study rule normally receive 3 years. Other qualifications generally support a period linked to the time studied, subject to the official table and 3-year maximum.
Scheduled change on 16 November 2026
INZ has announced expanded eligibility from 16 November 2026 for some level 7 graduate-diploma holders who also hold a bachelor's degree, plus a new short-term graduate option. Those settings are not yet available on 15 August 2026 and should not be used for an earlier application.
More graduates receive a work option from 16 November 2026
More graduates receive a work option from 16 November 2026
Eligible level 7 graduate-diploma holders with a bachelor's degree may enter the Post Study Work Visa route, while some level 5–7 graduates who remain outside that route may qualify for a new six-month open work visa. Neither change applies to an application made before 16 November 2026.
Timing: Applications under both changes open on 16 November 2026. Current Post Study Work Visa rules continue to govern applications before that date, and Immigration New Zealand says further operational details will be published closer to launch.
Current pathway rules still apply.
What This Route Allows
A degree-level 7 or higher graduate normally receives open work conditions and can work for almost any employer, job, or location, subject to lawful-work and occupational-registration rules. A graduate with a listed non-degree level 7 or lower qualification must work in a job related to the study, as recorded on the eVisa.
The holder can study for up to 3 months in any 12-month period. They may support a partner work visa and student visas for dependent children, subject to separate applications and family rules.
What This Route Is Not
It is not automatic after any New Zealand course, repeatable for a second qualification, or permanent residence. A non-degree graduate cannot disregard the related-job condition.
An open visa also has limits: a holder operating as a business owner cannot employ other people under the current open-work conditions, and regulated work still requires registration.
Next Steps
- Identify the qualification's exact New Zealand framework level, degree status, and eligible-list entry.
- Confirm full-time study dates and the correct 3-, 6-, or 12-month filing deadline.
- Obtain the completion letter, qualification, transcript, passport, NZD 5,000 funds evidence, and health and character records.
- Read the eVisa for any related-occupation restriction.
- If relying on the November 2026 changes, wait for the effective date and use the updated application rules.
- Map any residence plan separately to the job, employer accreditation, pay, occupation, and skilled-residence rules.
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