The New Zealand Post Study Work Visa, Explained
The Post Study Work Visa gives graduates up to three years of work rights in New Zealand after an eligible qualification. It costs from NZ$1,670, requires at least NZ$5,000 in funds, and can only be held once, ever. A degree at level 7 or above gives open work rights; a non-degree qualification does not.
Quick Facts
| Cost | From NZ$1,670 = $320 application fee + $1,350 immigration levy |
| Processing | 80% decided within 3.5 weeks |
| Funds required | At least NZ$5,000, documented |
| Length | Up to 3 years, depending on the qualification and study length |
| How many times | Once, ever |
| Degree at level 7 or above | Open work rights — any job, any employer, anywhere in New Zealand |
| Non-degree level 7 or lower | Restricted — work must relate to the field studied |
| Self-employment | Degree-level holders can be a sole trader or business owner but cannot employ others |
| Leads to residence | Yes — INZ describes it as a visa that can lead to a resident visa |
| Change coming | From 16 November 2026, eligibility expands to level 7 graduate diplomas and bachelor's degrees |
| Figures checked | 20 August 2026 |
What it is
The Post Study Work Visa is the bridge between studying in New Zealand and working there. It is a work visa, not a student visa, despite sitting at the end of the study journey.
It exists because New Zealand wants graduates to stay and work. It is priced accordingly: of the NZ$1,670 total, $1,350 is the immigration levy and only $320 is the application fee. The levy is more than four times the fee. That ratio tells you how the country classifies this product — as a settlement pathway, not as paperwork.
Two rules define it more than any other. You can only hold it once. And what it gives you depends entirely on what you studied, decided years before you apply.
What it costs
| Component | Amount | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $320 | INZ's charge for assessing the application |
| Immigration levy | $1,350 | Settlement programmes, immigration research, system infrastructure, the Immigration Advisers Authority |
| Total | from NZ$1,670 |
There is no IVL on this visa in the published components. You will also need to show at least NZ$5,000 in documented funds, which is separate from the fee — that is money you hold, not money you pay.
Compare that to the Fee Paying Student Visa at NZ$850 and the arithmetic of studying in New Zealand starts to look different. The visa that lets you stay costs roughly twice the visa that let you come.
Who qualifies
Eligibility is decided by your qualification, and there are two tracks.
Track 1 — degree at level 7 or above
A qualification at NZQCF level 8 postgraduate diploma, level 9 master's or level 10 doctorate, studied full time for at least 30 weeks in New Zealand, leads to a Post Study Work Visa with open work rights.
Open means what it says: any job, for any employer, anywhere in New Zealand, excluding illegal work and commercial sexual services. No employer sponsorship, no job offer required before you apply, no occupation restriction.
Track 2 — non-degree at level 7 or lower
A non-degree qualification at level 7 or lower qualifies only if it is on INZ's approved qualifications list, and only if studied full time for the full required duration.
Where it does qualify, the work rights are restricted: you must work in a role related to the field you studied, as specified in your visa conditions.
That is a substantial difference, and it is decided at enrolment. A student choosing between two courses at different levels, at different providers, is choosing between open and restricted work rights without necessarily being told so. Our provider comparison sets out how provider type feeds into this.
How long you get
The length is not a flat one, two or three years. It follows your qualification and how long you actually studied.
| Qualification | Visa length |
|---|---|
| Master's (level 9) or doctorate (level 10), studied full time for at least 30 weeks in New Zealand | 3 years |
| Level 8 or below, including a level 8 postgraduate diploma | Equal to the time spent studying, confirmed by your education provider |
| Non-degree level 7 or lower on the approved list | Equal to time spent studying, capped at 3 years, and occupation-restricted |
The middle row is the one that surprises people. A one-year qualification at level 8 produces roughly a one-year visa, not three. Your education provider confirms the study time, so the visa length is calculated from a document you do not control.
Full detail, including the application deadlines, is on duration and deadlines.
The deadlines, in outline
The Post Study Work Visa is applied for against a hard deadline after your student visa ends.
- Standard: no later than 3 months after your student visa expires.
- Doctoral graduates: 6 months, and they can apply after submitting the thesis rather than waiting for the result.
- An eligible qualification immediately followed by a higher one completed in under 30 weeks: apply on the first qualification, within 12 months of that first student visa expiring.
- A bachelor's immediately followed by honours or a postgraduate diploma on consecutive student visas: apply within 3 months of the second visa's end date.
Miss the window and the visa is gone. There is no second chance, because you can only hold this visa once.
Once, ever
INZ's wording is blunt: "You can only have this visa once."
That single rule shapes decisions years upstream. A graduate who uses their Post Study Work Visa after a one-year diploma has used it. Returning later for a master's does not restore it.
It also means the visa is worth thinking about before you enrol, not after you graduate. The qualification determines the length, the work rights and, indirectly, what comes next.
What you can do on it
With a degree at level 7 or above:
- Work in any job, for any employer, anywhere in New Zealand
- Change employers freely, with no variation of conditions
- Be a sole trader or business owner, but you cannot employ others, directly or indirectly
- Hold any occupational registration your job requires — the visa does not exempt you from professional registration rules
With a non-degree qualification at level 7 or lower:
- Work only in a role related to the field you studied, as stated in your visa conditions
Nobody on this visa may provide or invest in commercial sexual services.
The restriction on employing others is worth reading twice. It permits freelancing and self-employment but not building a company with staff. If your plan involves hiring people, this is not the visa that supports it.
Family
A partner of a Post Study Work Visa holder can apply for a work visa. Dependent children can study as domestic students, which removes international tuition for school.
They apply separately and pay their own fees. See bringing your partner and children.
What changes on 16 November 2026
From 16 November 2026, Post Study Work Visa eligibility expands to:
- NZQCF level 7 graduate diplomas, studied full time
- Bachelor's degrees, completed in or outside New Zealand
The second limb is the significant one. It opens the visa to people whose degree was not earned in New Zealand at all — a genuine change in who this visa is for. Full analysis is on what changes on 16 November 2026.
A separate short-term graduate product for level 5 to 7 holders has been reported publicly, but it does not appear in INZ's own visa lookup. We do not describe it as existing, and neither should anyone else until INZ publishes it. What is verified is the Post Study Work Visa expansion above.
Where it leads
INZ describes the Post Study Work Visa as a visa that can lead to a resident visa. It does not grant residence itself.
The usual chain is: student visa → Post Study Work Visa → an employer-sponsored work visa such as the Accredited Employer Work Visa → a residence category. Each link has its own filter, and skilled residence is decided on wage, skill level and points rather than on having studied here.
The chain, and where people fall off it, is set out on study to residence.
Where to confirm this
- Post Study Work Visa: immigration.govt.nz/visas/post-study-work-visa
- Staying to work after study: immigration.govt.nz after you finish study
- Qualification levels: nzqa.govt.nz
General information about published rules, not immigration advice. Whether a specific qualification is on the approved list, and what visa length it produces, is a question for INZ or a licensed immigration adviser.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does the New Zealand Post Study Work Visa cost?
From NZ$1,670 — a $320 application fee plus a $1,350 immigration levy. You must also show at least NZ$5,000 in documented funds, which is money you hold rather than money you pay.
How long does a Post Study Work Visa last?
Up to three years. A master's or doctorate studied full time for at least 30 weeks in New Zealand gives three years. A qualification at level 8 or below gives a visa equal to the time spent studying, confirmed by your provider. Non-degree level 7 or lower qualifications on the approved list give time equal to study, capped at three years.
Can I get a Post Study Work Visa twice?
No. INZ states you can only have this visa once. Completing a second qualification later does not restore it.
Does the Post Study Work Visa give open work rights?
For a degree at level 7 or above, yes — any job, any employer, anywhere in New Zealand. For a non-degree qualification at level 7 or lower on the approved list, work must relate to the field studied, as specified in your visa conditions.
Can I start a business on a Post Study Work Visa?
Degree-level holders can be a sole trader or business owner, but cannot employ others, directly or indirectly. Non-degree holders are restricted to work related to their field of study.
How long does the Post Study Work Visa take to process?
INZ publishes 80% of applications decided within 3.5 weeks, which makes it one of the faster products in the system. That matters because it is applied for against a hard deadline after your student visa expires.
When do I have to apply for a Post Study Work Visa?
No later than three months after your student visa expires in the standard case. Doctoral graduates have six months and can apply after submitting their thesis. Two other timing rules apply where qualifications follow one another closely.
Does the Post Study Work Visa lead to residence?
INZ describes it as a visa that can lead to a resident visa, but it does not grant residence. Residence is decided under separate categories with their own skill, wage and points requirements.
What changes for the Post Study Work Visa in November 2026?
From 16 November 2026, eligibility expands to NZQCF level 7 graduate diplomas studied full time, and to bachelor's degrees completed in or outside New Zealand. The current fee of NZ$1,670 and the once-only rule are unchanged.
