Visas for New Zealand

Studying in New Zealand is a fantastic pathway that will bring certainty to your migration plans. Find out how you can work during and after your studies, bring your family with you, and open work rights after your complete your New Zealand qualification.

Are you eligible for a student visa? Take our assessment!

You will be assigned a personal licensed advisor to assess your eligibility for a visa, and provide you with a roadmap to success containing which qualifications are the best to achieve your migration plans and which  New Zealand visas  you will need along the way.

We know international students’ expectations and their migration endeavours. This is why we recommend courses that best suit your circumstances and your goals. Our team has a wealth of experience in managing student visa applications through to approval and we can provide a personalised service to you and your family.

Assistance we provide

• Communication via phone, email, Skype or Zoom
• We propose the right courses for you, aligned to your background
• We highlight potential issues with your application and provide advice on the best way to achieve a successful visa outcome
• We facilitate the entire process from course enrolment to visa application lodgement
• We provide tips and advice on interviews with Immigration New Zealand
• We can manage your  family temporary visas  (for your partner and dependent children)
• We can support you during your settlement into New Zealand
• We work with only reputable tertiary education providers, colleges, and universities in New Zealand

It’s important that you understand whether you are allowed to work or not, otherwise you may be in breach of your  student visa  conditions. Note also that under no circumstances can you be self-employed

International, tertiary students

You can work part-time for up to 20 hours per week if your full-time programme of study meet certain requirements. The most common are:

• Studying for at least two years between level 4-6 course or one year course of level 7 or higher, or;
• Studying for at least one year as part of an approved student exchange programme, or;
• The study leads to a NZ qualification that gains points for residence under the  Skilled Migrant Category, or;

You may work full-time during all vacations during study of at least one academic year, if:

• you are studying full-time for at least 1 year, and;
• your course is for at least 120 credits, and;
• your course is over at least 8 months or 2 semesters

You can work full-time over the Christmas and New Year holiday period if studying for at least eight months course that has minimum of two semesters.

If you are enrolled in Masters by research or doctoral degree programmes awarded by a New Zealand tertiary institution, there are no restrictions on the hours you can work while studying. There are unlimited work rights for PhD and Masters research students.

English language students

If certain criteria are met, you may be allowed to work while studying English in New Zealand. You must meet all of these:

Courses of at least 24 weeks

• your study is full-time, and;
• your programme of study is at least 24 teaching weeks, and;
• you can show that the main purpose of your study is to improve your English, and;
• you have an acceptable English language test result that is no more than 2 years old (IELTS 5.0 or over)

Courses of at least 14 weeks

• your study is full-time, and;
• your study is for at least 14 consecutive weeks, and;
• you are studying English language, and;
• your study is with a university, or an education provider that has been assessed by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority as a Category 1 provider.

Shorter English language courses may qualify if they can be counted towards the 14 consecutive weeks and with the same education provider.

Secondary school students

If you are at least 16, and enrolled in year 12 or 13 at a secondary school, you may be allowed to work part-time during school terms, and full time during the Christmas break.You may require your parents’ and the school Principal’s authorisation in writing before you can vary the conditions of your dependent child student visa, to be allowed to work part-time.