When you finish your program at a university, you can get a Post Study Work Visa. In this article we’ll tell about the requirements for this type of visa.

Who can apply for a Post Study Work Visa?

• Those who have completed a Master’s degree (Level 9) or received a PhD (Level 10) are able to apply for a 3-year work visa. This applies to any speciality.
• Those who complete a Postgraduate Diploma (Level 8), will receive a visa for the same period as the duration of their studies. Most often this is 1 year of study or a little less. Respectively, the work visa will be of the same duration. There are no restrictions on specialities.
• Graduates of Bachelor Degree (Level 7) can also count on a work visa for a duration equal to their studies. Usually, it is 3 years if you study from scratch although some Bachelor programmes take longer. It is also possible to make a Cross Credit, that is, to credit some of the subjects from your previous education and reduce your study period in New Zealand. There are also no restrictions on specialties.
• Graduates of the Graduate Diploma (Level 7) can apply for a Post Study Work Visa only for a number of in-demand specialities from the Green List. These are usually annual programs, so the work visa will be for the same period as the tuition. And it will be possible to work only according to the speciality acquired. The list of in-demand specialities is below.
• For those who have completed a Diploma course (Level 4-6), it is necessary to link to the Green List. Also, the duration of the work visa will be equal to the study period, which is usually 1-2 years. And it will also be possible to work only according to the speciality acquired. The list is below.

N.B. Post Study Work visa is issued only once! It means that it is impossible to get this visa again even if you complete another course.

Programs from the Green List

This is the list of programs included in the Green List (i.e. in-demand specialists).  Thus, they are suitable for Diplomas level 4-6 and Graduate Diplomas level 7 available for international students:

• Graduate Diploma Level 7: Highways Engineering, Civil Engineering, Construction Management, Construction Project Management, Construction, Quantity Surveying, Early Childhood Teaching, Primary, Intermediary and Secondary School Teaching.
• Diploma Level 6 and 7: Highways Engineering, Civil Engineering, Construction Management, Construction Project Management, Construction, Quantity Surveying, Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, Mechanical Engineering
• Diploma level 5: Farm Management, Agriculture or Dairy Technology
• Diploma level 4: Dairy Farming or Livestock Farming.

Read more about levels and the education system in New Zealand

Student partners

An open work visa, which allows to work in almost any speciality (except for sex services) for the duration of the main applicant’s studies is available for:

• Partners of Level 9 Master’s and Level 10 PhD students in any speciality
• Partners of students of level 7 and 8 programs gaining a speciality from the Green List

However, partners of students enrolled in other professional programs, can only get a visitor visa, which does not allow official employment.

Partners of anyone who has received a Post Study Work Visa can also apply for an open work visa for the same period.

Children of students

There are two main points:

• Children with at least one parent on a work visa are entitled to free schooling. In New Zealand, pupils go to school from the age of 5-6 years. That will help to save from around NZ$ 15,000 per year, which other studetns have to pay for their children’s tuition.
• Kindergartens in New Zealand are partially subsidized by the government, which pays up to 20 hours per week for children aged 3 to 5 years regardless of the parents’ visa. Without subsidies, kindergartens cost from 7 to 12 NZD per hour.

Read more about immigration with family and children

Required documents for Post Study Work Visa

• Passport;
• Work Visa Application Form;
• Educational documents suitable for the conditions of obtaining a visa
• Bank statement with NZ $ 5000 in the account
• X-ray and medical examination result, if not provided earlier
• Certificate of no criminal record, if not provided earlier

It is important to remember that you must submit the documents within 3 months after your student visa expiration.

This information is based on materials from Immigration New Zealand. Read more about the Post Study Work Visa on the official INZ website.