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September 26 2022
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New updates on post-study work visa in New Zealand for Indian students

Since July this year, the New Zealand borders have been fully reopened for Indian students. All universities are welcoming international students back to campus, and applications for student visas are open too.

The post-study work visa allows students up to three years to stay in New Zealand. It depends on their level and length of study. This is a major reason that makes New Zealand very attractive to Indian students.

After completing their postgraduate studies, Indian students get an option for a post-study work visa in New Zealand. This visa, though, is given only to those who fulfill the eligibility criteria.

Students who complete a post-graduate degree straight after completing their undergraduate degree may be able to apply for a PSW visa. This visa is valid for up to three years.

If the students have studied towards a doctoral degree level qualification, they can apply for a New Zealand post-study work visa after submitting their thesis.

On the other hand, New Zealand's job market, however, is different from what Indian students have been used to. The best way to find a job in New Zealand would be through the "Live and Work New Zealand" website. This site has plenty of helpful job-related information in New Zealand.

Studying for qualifications in an occupation that has skill shortages would be a good decision. This may increase the chances of getting a job. The Green List of the NZ Immigration Department would be a great resource to find skill shortage sectors in the country.

New updates on post study work visa in New Zealand

In May 2022, New Zealand announced some relaxations for PSW work visas for international students who applied on or before May 11, 2022.

Qualifications for a post-study work visa for pre-May 12, 2022

Students who want to apply for a PSW visa and have applied for a student visa on or before May 11, 2022, must have an acceptable New Zealand qualification; they must have studied in New Zealand, and have a qualification that must be Level 4 or higher on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework.

According to the New Zealand Qualifications Framework, a qualification at level 7 or higher is acceptable if the course lasted 30 weeks or more. The Level 4, 5, or 6 qualification is acceptable if the student completed it after a study period of 60 weeks or more, or gained 2 qualifications that each involved at least 30 weeks' study, and the level of your last qualification was higher than the first.

If applicants want to work for longer, they may be able to apply for another post-study work visa. However, this would be only possible if they completed another qualification in New Zealand that they studied for 30 weeks or more. It could be a bachelor's degree or post-graduate qualification, or it could be at a higher level than the qualification used to get the previous visa, and they applied for the second student visa on or before May 11, 2022.

The qualification requirements for those studying or having applied for a student visa, by August 8, 2018, is that they need to have studied the English language - English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) qualifications are not acceptable.

Applying for a post-study work visa in New Zealand after completing studies

With a post-study work visa, students can work for any employer in any job if they have a degree level 7 or above qualification. They can work in a job that is related to what they have studied if the qualification is non-degree level 7 or below.

The applicant’s qualifications must also be on the qualifications eligible for a post-study work visa list. They must have acceptable qualifications.

Those who applied for your student visa on or before May 11, 2022, may be eligible for a post-study work visa that enables them to work for any employer, even if their qualification is not on the Qualifications Eligible for a post-study work visa list.

For those who applied after May 11, 2022, under the new requirements, a post-study work visa lets them work for any employer if they have studied for a degree level 7 qualification or above. If they have studied for a non-degree level 7 or below qualification, they may still be able to get a post-study work visa. However, they must have studied a qualification that is on the Qualifications Eligible for post-study work visa list. The job they end up taking must be related to what they studied.

For those with a PSW visa, their partners can apply for a work visa and dependent children can study fee-free as domestic students. Those with a PSW visa cannot provide commercial sexual services or operate or invest in a business that does.

The length of the post-study work visa will depend on the qualifications of the applicant completed in New Zealand. If they have completed a master’s or doctoral level qualification in New Zealand and studied there for at least 30 weeks, they can work in New Zealand for 3 years.

If the applicant has completed a qualification at Level 8 or below, the work visa will be for the same length of time as the study. The offer of place will be used by the New Zealand immigration department to work out the length of the PSW visa. For example, if the offer of place says that the study will take 32 weeks, the visa will be for 32 weeks.

If a student fails a course or otherwise takes longer to complete the study than what is stated on the offer of place this will not extend the length of the visa. If the actual length of study is different from the offer of place, further information will be asked for from the education provider. A second post-study work visa will not be given if you have already had one.

When you are trying to calculate the post-study work visa duration, it is always advisable to consult an agent who has Education New Zealand certification. They are more up-to-date and knowledgeable compared to other non-ENZ-certified consultants.

You can try to connect with PSA. Many of their counsellors are ENZ - certified. Most of their services are free, and you can avail of all their services virtually straight from your comfort zone. You can visit their virtual office just by clicking this linked text.

Disclaimer: Students are advised to cross-check the information with the New Zealand Immigration website for accuracy and not to base their decisions only on this blog post, which is collated from different sources.

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