New Zealand to introduce new 6-month graduate work visa from this year: Check eligibility

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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.

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. The bachelor’s degree can 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 towards 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 will need to provide evidence of their bachelor’s degree and an official academic transcript. An International Qualification Assessment will not be required for an overseas bachelor’s degree, although INZ may verify the qualification.

Postgraduate Diploma and Master’s degree graduates will continue to have separate Post-Study Work Visa provisions. Eligible Level 8 Postgraduate Diploma graduates may qualify for a one-year visa, while eligible Master’s graduates may qualify for a three-year visa, subject to meeting the study requirements.

The new Short-Term Graduate Work Visa is therefore different from the Post-Study Work Visa. While the new route gives eligible graduates six months of open work rights, the Post-Study Work Visa can provide a substantially longer period of work rights, depending on the qualification.

International students applying from November 16 will also be able to submit Post-Study Work Visa applications through New Zealand’s enhanced Immigration Online system, known as ADEPT.