The New Zealand Post-Study Work Visa (PSWV) is an open work visa for graduates of New Zealand qualifications that lets you stay and work after you finish studying. After a master's degree with at least 30 weeks of on-campus study in New Zealand it is granted for 3 years. After a bachelor's or a postgraduate diploma it lasts as long as your study did, up to 3 years. Graduates of a degree at level 7 or above can work for any employer. You can only get a PSWV once in your life.
Updated 30 September 2026. Visa and cost figures are taken from official sources on that date.
Key figures at a glance
Based on the INZ Post-Study Work Visa page (updated 2 March 2026) and related pages as at 30 September 2026:
| Item | What applies |
|---|---|
| Maximum length | up to 3 years |
| After a master's or doctorate | 3 years, with at least 30 weeks of on-campus study in NZ |
| After a bachelor's, postgraduate diploma or other level 8 and below qualification | the length of study for that qualification, up to 3 years |
| Work | degree at level 7+ — any work for any employer; non-degree qualifications (levels 4–7) — only work related to the qualification |
| How many times | once in a lifetime |
| When to apply | within 3 months of your student visa expiring |
| Funds | at least NZD 5,000 |
| Fee | from NZD 1,670 |
| Processing | 80% of applications within 5.5 weeks (INZ guide) |
| Family | a partner can get a work visa, children student visas |
Who can get a post-study work visa
You need one of these New Zealand qualifications (INZ):
- a degree at level 7 or above, including a bachelor's (and, under the rules from 16 November 2026, a graduate diploma after a degree — see below);
- a level 8 postgraduate diploma or certificate;
- a master's degree (level 9);
- a doctorate (level 10);
- a non-degree qualification at levels 4–7 that is on the official list of qualifications eligible for a PSWV, such as certain construction, engineering and teaching diplomas (INZ list).
Levels refer to the NZQCF (formerly NZQF), New Zealand's ten-level qualifications framework. Every programme page in our catalogue shows its level.
The 30-week rule: the key condition for degrees
For a degree at level 7 or above you must study full time in New Zealand for at least 30 weeks. For non-degree qualifications you must study full time in New Zealand for the whole time needed to gain the qualification (INZ).
For a master's, the 30 weeks are counted only on credits within the master's programme itself; time spent on earlier qualifications does not count (INZ news, 10.09.2026).
The practical point for programmes with an online part: online study and study outside New Zealand do not count towards the 30 weeks, so the on-campus part in New Zealand has to meet the 30 weeks on its own.
How long you get: it depends on the qualification
INZ calculates the length like this (INZ, how long you can stay on a PSWV, updated 2 March 2026):
| Qualification | PSWV length | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Master's or doctorate + at least 30 weeks on campus in NZ | 3 years | a 180-credit master's with an on-campus year in Auckland |
| Postgraduate diploma (level 8) | the length of study | a one-year PGDip — a 1-year visa |
| Bachelor's (level 7) | the length of study in NZ, up to 3 years | a three-year bachelor's in NZ — up to 3 years |
| Level 7 graduate diploma after a bachelor's (from 16.11.2026) | the length of study, up to 1 year | a one-year graduate diploma — 1 year |
| Non-degree qualification on the INZ list | the length of study, related work only | a level 6 construction diploma |
Your provider confirms the length of study based on the duration in your offer; failing courses or taking longer does not extend the visa. That is why "up to 3 years" on the visa page should not be read as "3 years for every graduate": only master's and doctoral graduates are assured 3 years.
How to apply and what you need
- Check the deadline. Apply within 3 months of your student visa expiring. Doctoral graduates have 6 months. If you went straight from your first qualification to a higher one completed in under 30 weeks, you have 12 months (INZ).
- Confirm your qualification. Your provider confirms that you have gained it or met the requirements for it.
- Show funds. At least NZD 5,000, shown with bank statements.
- Pay the fee. From NZD 1,670. Under Fees Guide INZ 1028 (May 2026) that is a fee of 320 plus an immigration levy of 1,350, and the International Visitor Levy does not apply (Fees Guide).
- Apply online. From 16 November 2026, PSWV applications go through the enhanced Immigration Online system (INZ, 10.09.2026).
INZ's processing guide in September 2026 is 80% of applications within 5.5 weeks, and it changes monthly.
What you can and cannot do on the visa
- You can work for any employer in any occupation if you hold a degree at level 7 or above (INZ). You do not need a job offer to get the visa.
- Related work only if the PSWV is based on a non-degree qualification at level 7 or below.
- You cannot be self-employed or run your own business; work must be under an employment agreement.
- Study is allowed for up to 3 months in every 12 months.
What changes on 16 November 2026
INZ announced two changes on 29 May and 10 September 2026 (news, 10.09.2026; news, 29.05.2026).
A PSWV after a level 7 graduate diploma will be available if:
- you studied full time in New Zealand for the whole qualification;
- you were enrolled for its whole length, with no cross-crediting or recognition of prior learning;
- you already hold a bachelor's degree, from New Zealand or overseas, however long ago.
The visa lasts as long as your study, up to 1 year, and its holder can support a partner's and children's visas.
A new Short-Term Graduate Work Visa (INZ, 10.09.2026) gives 6 months of open work rights. It is for level 5–7 qualifications that do not lead to a PSWV, studied on campus in New Zealand for at least 24 weeks. You need NZD 5,000, and you can get it only once and only if you have never held this visa or a PSWV. It does not support a partner or children. As at 30 September 2026 the fee had not been published.
Some programmes in the NIU catalogue are marked "from 16 November 2026" in the work visa field; this is what that refers to.
Your family on a post-study work visa
A PSWV holder can support a partner's work visa and children's student visas (INZ). The partner applies for a Partner of a Worker Work Visa: open work, the same length as the graduate's visa, fee from NZD 1,630, 80% decided within 6 weeks (INZ). From 25 September 2026 both partners must be 18 or older when they apply (INZ, 25.09.2026). Details are on the Studying with your family page.
After the PSWV: what next
A post-study work visa is temporary and does not in itself lead to residence. What it gives you is New Zealand work experience. After that, graduates can apply for other visas, such as employer-sponsored work visas or residence categories, each with its own requirements and assessed separately by Immigration New Zealand. We do not promise residence on any programme; plan the next step with a licensed immigration adviser.
How it works on NIU programmes
Joint programmes at Nairi International University (NIU) begin online and continue on campus at a New Zealand provider. Only the on-campus study in New Zealand counts for a PSWV.
Master of Business Informatics (MBI), NIU + ICL Graduate Business School. Level 9, 180 credits, about 16 months. The first semester (60 credits) is online with NIU, followed by one academic year (120 credits) on campus at ICL in Auckland. The year at ICL is designed to meet the 30-week rule, so after the master's a graduate can apply for a 3-year PSWV, provided the other INZ requirements are met. The online semester does not get in the way; it simply does not count towards the 30 weeks. Programme page.
Bachelor of Business Information Systems (BBIS), NIU + ICL. Level 7, 360 credits: the first academic year at NIU by distance, then on campus at ICL. After a bachelor's the PSWV lasts as long as the study in New Zealand, so the visa length for this programme depends on the on-campus part. An adviser will calculate it for your schedule before you enrol. Programme page.
Catalogue programmes with different PSWV outcomes
Every programme in the Programs and courses catalogue shows what it means for a work visa. A few contrasting examples:
- Master of Management — ICL — a level 9 master's;
- Master of Information Technology — AIS — a level 9 master's, 16 months;
- Postgraduate Diploma in Business Informatics — ICL — level 8, visa length equals study length;
- Graduate Diploma in Information Technology — NMIT — level 7: a PSWV under the new rules from 16 November 2026 if you hold a bachelor's.
For the steps before a PSWV, see Student visa and Master's in New Zealand.
Sources
All links checked on 30 September 2026.
- INZ — Post-Study Work Visa: https://www.immigration.govt.nz/visas/post-study-work-visa/
- INZ — How long you can stay on a post-study work visa: https://www.immigration.govt.nz/work/requirements-for-work-visas/how-long-you-can-work-on-work-visas/how-long-you-can-stay-on-a-post-study-work-visa/
- INZ — Staying to work after finishing your study: https://www.immigration.govt.nz/study/after-you-finish-your-study/staying-to-work-after-finishing-your-study/
- INZ — Qualifications eligible for a post-study work visa: https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/preparing-a-visa-application/working-in-nz/qualifications-eligible-for-a-post-study-work-visa
- INZ — Post-study work visa eligibility extended from 16 November 2026 (10.09.2026): https://www.immigration.govt.nz/about-us/news-centre/post-study-work-visa-eligibility-extended-from-16-november-2026/
- INZ — New and updated post-study work visa options (29.05.2026): https://www.immigration.govt.nz/about-us/news-centre/new-and-updated-post-study-work-visa-options/
- INZ — New Short-Term Graduate Work Visa launching on 16 November 2026 (10.09.2026): https://www.immigration.govt.nz/about-us/news-centre/new-short-term-graduate-work-visa-launching-on-16-november-2026/
- INZ — Fees Guide INZ 1028 (May 2026): https://www.immigration.govt.nz/assets/inz/documents/forms-and-guides/Fees-Guide-INZ-1028.pdf
- INZ — Partner of a Worker Work Visa: https://www.immigration.govt.nz/visas/partner-of-a-worker-work-visa/
- INZ — New age and evidence requirements for some partnership-based visas (25.09.2026): https://www.immigration.govt.nz/about-us/news-centre/new-age-and-evidence-requirements-for-some-partnership-based-visas/