Post Study Work Visa

Visa details

You can apply for this visa if you have recently finished your studies in New Zealand. It allows you to stay and work here for up to 3 years, depending on what you studied.

Length of stay
Up to

3 years

Cost
From
NZD $700
Processing time
90% within
38 days
With this visa you can
  • Stay for 3 years depending on your level of study and how long you studied in New Zealand.
  • Work for any employer in any job if you have a degree level 7 or above qualification.
  • Work in a job that is related to what you studied if your qualification is non-degree level 7 or below. Your qualification must also be on the Qualifications Eligible for a Post Study Work Visa list.
    Qualifications Eligible for a Post Study Work Visa
Things to note
  • You can only apply for this visa once.
  • If you applied for your Student Visa on or before 11 May 2022 you may be eligible for a Post Study Work Visa that enables you to work for any employer, even if your qualification is not on the Qualifications Eligible for a Post Study Work Visa list. You also must have an acceptable qualification.
    Acceptable qualifications for a Post Study Work Visa (pre 12 May 2022)
  • You cannot provide commercial sexual services or operate or invest in a business that does.
  • Your partner can apply for a work visa and your dependent children can study fee-free as domestic students.
    Bringing family if you have a work visa

Who can apply

The criteria and evidence below will provide you with the information you need to meet the requirements of this visa.

View All Evidence

Identity

You must provide proof of your identity

  • 1 acceptable photo if you apply online, or 2 photos if you use a paper application form.
  • your passport or certificate of identity.

Acceptable photos

If you submit a paper application, provide your original passport or a certified copy.  We can usually process your application faster if you provide your original passport.

If you apply online, you must upload a copy of your passport when you apply. We will let you know if you need to send your passport after you've applied.

Sending your passport for online applications

Tips

  1. Your passport must be valid for at least 3 months after you plan to leave New Zealand.

  2. Also provide your Kartu Keluarga.

  3. If you’re not a French national, also provide a copy of your carte d’assuré.

  4. Also provide a copy of your livret de famille.

  5. Also provide a copy of your Identity card.

  6. Also provide your:

    • Hukou (household registration book)
    • Chinese identity card.

  7. If you are a citizen of China and you submit a paper application form in China, you must also complete a supplementary form.

    Supplementary form for Chinese citizens (INZ 1027) PDF 338KB

  8. If you are submitting a paper application form, you must provide a supplementary form for Hong Kong and Macao visitors, workers and students.

    Supplementary form for Hong Kong and Macao visitors, workers and students (INZ 1220) PDF 240KB

Health

You must be in good health

You may need to have a chest x-ray, a medical examination or both as proof of your good health.

Who needs an x-ray or medical examination

Update on medical certificate requests on Immigration Online

Tips

  1. You must provide a chest x-ray completed in the last 3 months, even if you've provided one to us previously, if:

    • you have spent 6 consecutive months in China since the last x-ray certificate was issued, and
    • you are now coming to NZ for more than 6 months.

Character

You must be of good character

You may need to provide police certificates as proof of your good character.

If you are aged 17 or older and plan to stay in New Zealand for more than 24 months (including any time you have already spent in New Zealand), you must provide police certificates from:

  • any country you are a citizen of
  • any country you have spent more than 5 years in since you turned 17.

You do not need to provide police certificates if:

  • you have provided them to us with an earlier visa application, and
  • they were issued in the previous 24 months.

Good character

How to get a police certificate

New Zealand Qualification

You must have completed an eligible qualification in New Zealand

You must provide:

  • a copy of your qualification, or
  • a letter or academic transcript from your tertiary education provider confirming you have completed your qualification.

If you have studied a degree level 7 or above qualification, you must have studied it full time for at least 30 weeks in New Zealand.

If you have studied a non-degree level 7 or below qualification, you must have studied towards a qualification that is on the Qualifications Eligible for a Post Study Work Visa list. The job you end up taking must be related to what you studied. This will be specified on your visa.

Qualifications Eligible for a Post Study Work Visa

If you applied for your student visa on or before 11 May 2022 the above requirements do not apply to you. You may be eligible for a Post Study Work Visa for up to 3 years after completing your study if you have an acceptable qualification.

Acceptable qualifications for a Post Study Work Visa (pre 11 May 2022)

 

Work visa application

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.

We’ll check our records to make sure that you’re applying in time.

Tips

  1. You won’t be eligible to apply if you didn’t complete the qualification recorded on your Student Visa.

Funds

You must have enough money to live on while you’re in New Zealand

You need to provide evidence that you have at least NZD $5,000 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.

Process and costs

The information below will help you understand the process, timeframes and costs involved in applying for this visa, so you can plan ahead and have the best chance of submitting a complete application.

Notes

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How to submit

Payment methods and receiving centre details if applicable.

Notes

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Conditions

These are the conditions that you must meet once you have your visa.

Entry permission

You must apply for entry permission when you arrive in New Zealand. You can do this by completing an arrival card, which you are given on the way to New Zealand.

Arriving in New Zealand

Notes

  • You can be refused entry permission if:

    • you don’t meet our character requirements
    • your circumstances have changed since you were granted a visa
    • you refuse to let us to take your photo, or provide us with your fingerprints or an iris scan, if we ask you for them.

Travel

If you want to travel in and out of New Zealand, you must have valid multiple entry travel conditions to return to New Zealand.

Varying the conditions of a work visa

Notes

  • If applying from inside New Zealand, we will normally give multiple entry travel conditions when we grant a visa.

    If there are no multiple entry travel conditions and you leave New Zealand the visa will expire.

    The travel conditions will be listed on the visa label or in a visa letter.

Work

If you studied a degree level 7 or above qualification, you can work in almost any job for any employer in New Zealand.

Notes

  • You can’t provide commercial sexual services, or operate or invest in a business that does.

    If you studied a non-degree level 7 or below qualification, you must have studied towards a qualification that is on the Qualifications Eligible for a Post Study Work Visa list. The job you end up taking must be related to what you studied. This will be specified on your visa.

    Qualifications Eligible for a Post Study Work Visa

Study

You can study for up to 3 months in any 12-month period.

Notes

  • You may be able to do other study if it’s required by your employer as part of your employment.

Visa expiry

You must leave New Zealand before your visa expires.

Notes

  • Visa expiry dates are printed on a visa label or included in a visa letter.