Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has announced changes to graduate work pathways, including a new short-term graduate work visa and an extension of post study work visa eligibility. INZ says the changes are intended to support growth in international education while helping graduates move into work that meets New Zealand’s skills needs.
According to INZ, post study work visa eligibility will be extended to cover graduate diplomas at New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (NZQCF) Level 7, where the graduate also holds a bachelor’s degree completed in New Zealand or overseas. INZ says the overall aim is to attract and retain international graduates with valuable skills while maintaining education quality and protecting New Zealand’s reputation as a place to live and work.
People who have previously been granted a post study work visa are not eligible for a second post study work visa or for the new short-term graduate work visa.
New short-term graduate work visa
INZ says eligible international graduates who completed study in New Zealand will be able to apply for the new short-term graduate work visa from Monday 16 November 2026. The visa provides six months of open work rights, giving holders time to look for work and, where appropriate, move to an accredited employer work visa.
Eligibility and conditions
To be eligible, applicants must:
- hold a qualification at NZQCF Level 5 to 7 that was studied full-time for at least 24 weeks in New Zealand, is not an English language, foundation, or bridging qualification, and does not make them eligible for a post study work visa
- have at least NZD $5,000 available to support themselves
- have a valid medical certificate and chest X-ray, depending on their intended length of stay in New Zealand
- not have previously been granted a short-term graduate work visa or post study work visa
- have written approval from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade or Education New Zealand, if their study was supported under the New Zealand Scholarship Programme
Applications must be submitted within three months of the applicant’s New Zealand student visa expiring.
INZ says any work undertaken on the visa must be for an employer under an employment agreement or contract for services, and business ownership is not allowed.
Short-term graduate work visa holders cannot support a partner for a work visa or children for a dependent child student visa. They can instead check whether they are able to support them for a visitor visa. Dependent children can also apply for a student visa as international students, and partners can apply for work visas on their own merit.
Only one short-term graduate work visa
According to INZ, holders cannot apply for a second short-term graduate work visa or extend their first. Someone who holds, or has held, the visa can apply for another student visa if their proposed study is a bachelor’s degree, or a programme at a higher NZQCF level than the qualification their short-term graduate work visa was based on, and the study makes them eligible for a post study work visa.
Student visa holders who previously held a short-term graduate work visa cannot change their programme of study or education provider unless they continue to meet these requirements.
More information
INZ says further details about the short-term graduate work visa will be published closer to when it becomes available. More information about staying in New Zealand to work after finishing study is available from INZ.
Staying to work after finishing your study
Post study work visa eligibility extending
From Monday 16 November 2026, INZ says eligibility for a post study work visa will be extended to graduates who:
- have completed a graduate diploma at NZQCF Level 7
- studied full-time in New Zealand for the full duration of the qualification
- were enrolled in that qualification for the full duration, with cross crediting or recognition of prior learning not eligible, and
- hold a bachelor’s degree completed in New Zealand or overseas, with no time limit on when it was awarded
Evidence and conditions
Along with evidence of the graduate diploma, applicants will need to provide a copy of their bachelor’s degree certificate showing the qualification type and awarding institution, and an official academic transcript. INZ says an international qualification assessment is not required for overseas bachelor’s degrees, but it can check qualification authenticity for immigration purposes.
The post study work visa can be issued for the duration the student spent studying the graduate diploma in New Zealand, up to a maximum of one year. An individual can only be granted one post study work visa, and anyone who has held one in the past is not eligible for another, even if the new study is at the same or a higher level.
People with a post study work visa are able to support partners and dependent children for visitor, work, or dependent child student visas, as long as requirements are met.
Graduate diploma holders
INZ says graduate diploma holders may be granted a visa with open work conditions if they also hold a bachelor’s degree. If a graduate diploma holder does not also hold a bachelor’s degree but their graduate diploma is listed in Appendix 13 of the Immigration Operational Manual, they may still be granted a post study work visa. In that case they will be required to work in the occupation specified in Appendix 13 for the duration of the visa.
If the graduate diploma holder does not hold a bachelor’s degree and their graduate diploma is not listed in Appendix 13, they are not eligible for a post study work visa. Instead, they can apply for the six-month short-term graduate work visa.
Appendix 13, Green List, Immigration Operational Manual
More information
Further information is available from INZ’s post study work visa pages.
Qualifications needed for a Post Study Work Visa
First published 12 March 2026.
