Under the current arrangements, student visa holders and their dependent family members (except masters by research or doctoral degree student dependents who can work full time), can work a maximum of 20 hours per week during the term once the course has commenced, and unlimited hours when the course is not in session. Under the proposed arrangement, the New Zealand student visa and work permit holder’s work would be measured as 40 hours per fortnight during any fortnight in the course session. A fortnight means a period of 14 days commencing on a Monday.
Courses aligned to Green List fields — health, engineering, IT, construction and teaching — give the cleanest run from study to post-study work to the Skilled Migrant Category. Courses outside those fields can genuinely dead-end short of residence, and we say so before you pay a deposit. Pick the course for the residence pathway first and the campus second.
Eligible graduates get a post-study work visa of up to three years, depending on qualification level — time you use to build the skilled employment that counts towards the Skilled Migrant Category. From August 2026, NZ qualifications earn stronger recognition in the points system and the NZ work-experience requirement drops from three years to two (immigration.govt.nz).