INZ are introducing a new Short-Term Graduate Work Visa to better align graduate pathways with New Zealand’s skills needs.

Eligible international graduates who have completed study or are currently studying in New Zealand will be able to apply for the new Short-Term Graduate Work Visa from Monday 16 November 2026.

This visa provides 6 months of open work rights, allowing time to look for work and, where appropriate, transition to an Accredited Employer Work Visa.

Applications must be submitted within 3 months of their New Zealand student visa expiring.

Eligibility and conditions

To be eligible, applicants must:

• hold a qualification at NZQF 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
• 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, dependent 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.

Any work undertaken on a Short-Term Graduate Work Visa must be for an employer under an employment agreement or contract for services. 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. However, they can check if they are able to support them for a visitor visa instead. Dependent children can also apply for a student visa as international students, and partners can apply for work visas on their own merit.

An individual can only be granted 1 Short-Term Graduate Work Visa

Short-Term Graduate Work Visa holders cannot apply for a second Short-Term Graduate Work Visa or extend their first.

Someone who holds, or has held, a Short-Term Graduate Work Visa can apply for another student visa if their proposed study is:

• a bachelor’s degree or a programme of study at a higher NZQCF level than the level of the qualification that their Short-Term Graduate Work Visa was based on, and
• a qualification that 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 the above requirements.

INZ are extending Post-Study Work Visa eligibility to better align graduate pathways with New Zealand’s skills needs.

From Monday 16 November 2026, eligibility for a Post-Study Work Visa will be extended to graduates who:

• have completed a graduate diploma at NZQF Level 7
• studied full‑time in New Zealand for the full duration of the qualification
• have been enrolled in that qualification for the full duration (cross crediting or recognition of prior learning is not eligible), and
• hold a bachelor's degree, completed in New Zealand or overseas (with no time limit on when it was awarded).

Postgraduate Diploma and Master's programmes

Applicants who complete an eligible Postgraduate Diploma (Level 8) may be eligible for a 1-year Post-Study Work Visa. Applicants who complete an eligible Master's degree (Level 9) may be eligible for a 3-year Post-Study Work Visa.

To be eligible, you must complete at least 30 weeks of full-time study in the qualification your visa is based on. 

For a Master's degree, you must complete at least 30 weeks of full-time study while enrolled in the Master's programme itself. If you complete a Postgraduate Diploma and then move directly into a Master's degree using credits transferred from your diploma, you may still be eligible for a 1-year Post-Study Work Visa based on your Postgraduate Diploma. A Master's degree is assessed separately, and transferred credits, cross-crediting, or recognition of prior learning does not count for Post-Study Work Visa purposes.

Evidence and conditions

Along with evidence of the graduate diploma, applicants will need to provide:

• a copy of their bachelor's degree certificate (showing qualification type and awarding institution), and
• an official academic transcript.

An International Qualification Assessment is not required for overseas bachelor’s degrees, but we 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 1 year. An individual can only be granted 1 Post-Study Work Visa. Anyone who has held a Post-Study Work Visa in the past is not eligible for another, even if the study is at the same or 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

People who hold a graduate diploma may be granted a visa with open work conditions if they also hold a bachelor's degree.

If the graduate diploma holder does not also hold a bachelor’s degree but their graduate diploma is on the List of qualifications eligible for a Post-Study Work Visa, they may still be granted a Post-Study Work Visa. However, they will be required to work in the occupation specified on the List of qualifications eligible for a Post-Study Work Visa, for the duration of their Post-Study Work Visa.

If the graduate diploma holder does not also hold a bachelor’s degree and their graduate diploma is not on the List of qualifications eligible for a Post-Study Work Visa, they are not eligible for a Post-Study Work Visa. Instead, they can apply for the 6-month Short-Term Graduate Work Visa.