New Zealand Announces New Work Visa Route For International Students
Applicants who complete an eligible Postgraduate Diploma (Level 8), may be eligible for a 1-year Post-Study Work Visa and those who complete an eligible Master's degree (Level 9), may be eligible for a 3-year Post-Study Work Visa.
NEW DELHI: New Zealand will introduce a new six-month work visa for eligible international graduates from November 16, 2026, allowing them to work in the country while looking for jobs and exploring longer-term employment opportunities.
Immigration New Zealand (INZ), in a recent announcement, said the new Short-Term Graduate Work Visa will provide open work rights to eligible graduates who do not qualify for the existing Post-Study Work Visa.
Through the new route, graduates must have completed an eligible New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (NZQCF) Level 5, 6 or 7 qualifications.
Postgraduate Diploma and Master’s degree graduates will continue to have separate Post-Study Work Visa provisions.
Applicants who complete an eligible Postgraduate Diploma (Level 8), may be eligible for a 1-year Post-Study Work Visa and those who complete an eligible Master’s degree (Level 9), may be eligible for a 3-year Post-Study Work Visa.
The qualification must have been studied full-time for at least 24 weeks and must not already make the graduate eligible for a Post-Study Work Visa.
English-language, foundation and bridging qualifications will not qualify for the new visa. Applicants will also need to have at least NZD 5,000 in available funds and meet the relevant health and character requirements.
No extension on short-term graduate work visa
The Short-Term Graduate Work Visa will provide open work rights, meaning graduates will not need to have a job offer before applying and can work for any employer, subject to visa conditions.
The visa will be valid for a maximum of six months and can be granted only once. It cannot be extended.
Applicants must apply within three months of the expiry of their New Zealand student visa. The visa is intended as a short-term pathway for graduates to find employment and, where eligible, transition to another work visa such as the Accredited Employer Work Visa.
Alongside the new six-month visa, New Zealand is also expanding eligibility for its existing Post-Study Work Visa.
From November 16, graduates who complete an eligible NZQCF Level 7 Graduate Diploma in New Zealand can qualify for a Post-Study Work Visa if they also hold a bachelor’s degree, said the statement by the Immigration New Zealand.
For the details of the statement by Immigration New Zealand on the new work visa route, click here.
The bachelor’s degree may have been completed either in New Zealand or overseas.
To qualify, students must have studied the Graduate Diploma full-time in New Zealand for its entire duration. Cross-crediting or recognition of prior learning will not count as the qualification for visa purposes.
Eligible Graduate Diploma graduates can receive a Post-Study Work Visa for the duration of their study, up to a maximum of one year.
Applicants need to provide evidence of their bachelor’s degree and an official academic transcript.
More information
For more information, check the official Post-Study Work Visa pages.
Qualifications needed for a Post-Study Work Visa
An International Qualification Assessment will not be required for an overseas bachelor’s degree, although INZ may verify the qualification.