post-Study Work Visa
Please Note: Temporary visa applications from outside New Zealand or a quarantine-free travel zone are currently suspended, unless you are exempt
If you have acceptable qualifications(s) that you completed in New Zealand, you can apply for a visa to work here. Depending on your qualification and where you studied, you can work for any employer for between 1 and 3 years, and do almost any work.
| 1, 2 or 3 years |
You Can:
- work for any employer.
- work in almost any job New Zealand.
Things To Note:
- You can only apply for this visa once, unless you complete a second higher qualification at bachelor’s degree level or higher.
- You cannot provide commercial sexual services or operate or invest in a business that does.
- If you complete your study outside Auckland before the end of 2021, your work visa can be valid for 2 or 3 years.
- Your partner can apply for a work visa and your dependent children can study fee-free as domestic students.
To apply for a Post-study work visa, you must have an acceptable New Zealand qualification.
To be acceptable:
- you must have studied in New Zealand, and
- your qualification must be Level 4 or higher on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework.
- Check if you need to apply for a Visitor Visa – people from certain countries can travel to New Zealand without applying for a visa first, we call this travelling visa waiver.
Your qualification is Level 7 or higher (bachelor or higher)
Your qualification at level 7 or higher is acceptable if your course lasted 30 weeks or more.
Your Level 4, 5 or 6 qualification is acceptable if you:
- completed it after study of 60 weeks or more, or
- gained 2 qualifications that:
- each involved 30 weeks’ study, and
- the level of your last qualification was higher than the first
English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) qualifications are not acceptable.
You can apply for another Post-study work visa, but only if you complete another qualification in New Zealand that:
- you studied for 30 weeks or more
- is a bachelor’s degree or post-graduate qualification, and
- is at a higher level than the qualification you used to get your previous visa.
You have a Level 7 qualification or higher
If you have a Level 7 Bachelor’s degree or higher, you can apply for a Post-study work visa for 3 years.
If you have a Level 7 Graduate Diploma, you can apply for a Post-study work visa for 1 year. You can apply to work for 1 more year if you are working towards occupational registration with a registration body included in a list of acceptable registration authorities. For example, teachers need 2 years’ work experience before they can get a full practising certificate.
If you have another Level 7 qualification, you can apply for a Post-study work visa for 1 year.
Your qualification is at Level 4, 5 or 6
If you have 1 or more acceptable qualifications at Levels 4 to 6, you can apply for a Post-study work visa for 1 year.
You must provide:
- a copy of your acceptable qualification, or
- a letter or academic transcript from your tertiary education provider confirming you have completed your qualification.
You must apply in time:
- You must apply for a work visa no later than 3 months after your student visa expires, or 6 months if you were granted a visa to complete a doctorate.
You need to provide evidence that you have at least NZD $4,200 when you apply. Evidence can include:
- bank statements
- credit card statements
- bank drafts
- travellers’ cheques.
- This applies to all Post-study work visa applications for 1, 2 or 3 years.
