Student visa holders
Some students are able to work for up to 20 hours a week during the academic year and some may work full-time during breaks. Students studying in some fields are eligible for work visas to enable them to fulfil practical course requirements.
All students who are legally allowed to work in New Zealand will have an endorsement in their passports, or a letter from us stating their entitlement to work and the limitations on such work. To qualify, students must satisfy one of seven conditions.
Conditions for working on a student visa
Post-Study work visas
After a student has completed their studies they may be able to get a work visa under the Study to Work instructions. They must be either fulfilling practical training requirements that are part of their course requirements, have passed and completed a qualification in New Zealand which took three years or more to complete, or gained a qualification which would earn them points under Skilled Migrant Category criteria.
You can check a specific migrant’s conditions using VisaView.