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Post-study work visa in New Zealand

You are eligible for a Post-study work visa for 1, 2 or 3 years depending on your qualifications, where you studied and if you are working towards occupational registration.

Conditions 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.

Student who have come in for education in the ESOL course are not acceptable for a PSW.

If you get a student visa after 8 August 2018

The length of your Post-study work visa depends on where you studied for your acceptable qualification and what it was.

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.

If you studied outside Auckland

If you have an acceptable qualification that you completed somewhere else in New Zealand before 31 December 2021, then you can apply for a Post-study work visa for 2 or 3 years. If you complete your qualification after 31 December 2021, the length of your visa will be the same as for people who studied in Auckland.

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 to work in New Zealand for 3 years.

If you complete a Graduate Diploma or another Level 7 qualification:

  • on or before 31 December 2021, you can apply for a Post-study work visa for 2 years
  • after 31 December 2021, you can apply for a Post-study work visa for 1 year.

Source: Immigration New Zealand Website

This information is only a reference/general guideline and any detailed query must be made to Immigration New Zealand or refer to [https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/] website.

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