WELLINGTON - Graduates whose student visa for the relevant qualification expired before Aug. 16 will be ineligible when applications for New Zealand’s new Short-Term Graduate Work Visa open Nov. 16.
Immigration New Zealand said on Sept. 10 that applications will be made through its Enhanced Immigration Online system. Applicants must apply within three months of the end date of the student visa for the qualification they are using to apply.
“If a student visa expires before 16 August 2026, the visa holder will not be eligible to apply,” INZ said.
The visa was announced earlier this year for international graduates who have completed an eligible Level 5 to 7 qualification in New Zealand but do not qualify for a Post-Study Work Visa.
It will provide up to six months of open work rights, giving holders time to look for a job and, where appropriate, move to an Accredited Employer Work Visa.
The existing Post-Study Work Visa can allow eligible graduates to remain and work in New Zealand for up to three years, depending on what they studied. The new six-month route provides a shorter work period for graduates whose qualification does not make them eligible for that visa.
The launch comes as international enrolments at New Zealand tertiary providers continue to recover from the pandemic-era downturn.
Education Ministry data show 59,890 international students were enrolled in formal study in 2025, up 15% from 52,145 in 2024. The total was still below the 61,040 recorded in 2019.
International qualification completions also rose. The number of international students completing a formal qualification increased 22% to 21,230 in 2025, up 3,865 from the previous year, according to Education Ministry data.
The figures cover provider-based tertiary education and are not a count of people eligible for the new visa.
Student visa applications were also higher in 2026. INZ said in July that it had received about 20% more applications year to date than over the same period in 2025, prompting the agency to advise prospective students to apply early because of higher volumes.
The Nov. 16 launch will coincide with a separate expansion of Post-Study Work Visa eligibility.
From that date, some Level 7 graduate diploma holders who also hold a bachelor’s degree will become eligible under new requirements, including full-time study in New Zealand for the full duration of the graduate diploma.
