Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has announced plans to launch a new visa, as well as changes to the Post Study Work Visa.
The changes include a new Short-term Graduate Work Visa and an extension of Post Study Work Visa eligibility to graduate diplomas at New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (NZQCF) Level 7. The graduate must also hold a bachelor’s degree (completed in New Zealand or overseas).
People who have previously been granted a Post Study Work Visa are not eligible for a second Post Study Work Visa or a Short-term Graduate Work Visa.
New Short-term Graduate Work Visa
Eligible international graduates who completed study in New Zealand will be able to apply for the new Short-term Graduate Work Visa from Monday, November 16, 2026.
This visa provides six months of open work rights, allowing time to look for work and, where appropriate, transition 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;
- does not make them eligible for a Post Study Work Visa;
- have at least NZD 5000 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 Program.
Applications must be submitted within three months of their New Zealand student visa expiring.
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 one 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 program 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.
More information
Further details about the Short-term Graduate Work Visa will be published closer to when it becomes available.
Extended eligibility for Post Study Work Visa
From Monday November 16, 2026, 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
- 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).
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 one 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 listed in Appendix 13 of the Immigration Operational Manual, they may still be granted a Post Study Work Visa. However, they will be required to work in the occupation specified in Appendix 13 of the Immigration Operational Manual 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 listed in Appendix 13 of the Immigration Operational Manual, they are not eligible for a Post Study Work Visa. Instead, they can apply for a 6-month Short-term Graduate Work Visa.
Erickson Insights and Analysis
Erickson Immigration Group will continue monitoring developments and sharing updates as more news is available. Please contact your employer or EIG attorney if you have questions about anything we’re reporting above or if you have case-specific questions.