Working in New Zealand

International students who are planning on travelling to New Zealand to study must apply for a student visa or permit. Unless the course of study lasts for three months or less, then students will only need to apply for a visitor’s permit. A visa allows the holder to enrol and study in an educational institution in the issuing country.

While applying for a visa, students will need to meet a set of requirements. These include proof of the following:

• A valid passport
• An offer from a government approved educational provider
• Financial stability and/or support
• Meeting of health and character standards

The government of New Zealand has the right to revoke your student visa if you breach any of the set conditions that come with accepting a visa or permit.

Students on visas may be eligible to work on a part-time basis, up to 20 hours per week in an academic term, and/or full time during the holidays but only if the student is either a full-time student enrolled in a course that is 12 months or longer, needs to gain practical experience in a work environment to satisfactorily complete a course or:

• Is enrolled full-time in a two year course at a tertiary institution or a private training organisation
• Has nearly satisfactorily completed a New Zealand qualification that would be eligible for points under the Skilled Migrant Category
• Is a full-time student in years 12 or 13 at a secondary school and has written consent from both the school and legal guardians.
• Has completed a tertiary level equivalent of one academic year, as  part of an approved tertiary student exchange program
• Has been studying full-time for at least six months while registered at a private training establishment or tertiary institute, and has satisfactorily proven that the main focus of their studies is to develop and improve their English language skills.

To prove this, the student must have an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) overall band score of 5.0 or above (General or Academic Module)
For part-time students, the conditions are restricted to the following:

• The student is studying for at least three academic years and your course requires you to gain experience in a work environment
• The student has almost completed a New Zealand qualification that would be entitled for points under the Skilled Migrant Category
• The student is studying for a limited time of nine months, has proof that the course fees have been paid,  the course meets all Immigration New Zealand (INZ) standards and  New Zealand’s foreign student policy requirements

Important Note: In New Zealand it is against the law for any persons on a temporary permit to provide commercial sexual services or to be involved in any way with a business that provides such services.