Post Study Work Visa New Zealand: Who Gets 3 Years, Who Gets 1, and Who Gets Nothing
The NZ Post Study Work Visa is not a single, automatic reward for finishing a degree. What you studied, at what level, and where decides whether you get three years, one year, or no open work rights at all.
By Saeed Setayesh
The Post Study Work Visa is the reason a lot of people choose New Zealand over other study destinations — but it is not a flat "finish a degree, get three years" deal. The length of the visa, and whether you get one at all, comes down to the specific qualification you completed and where you completed it.
The three-year version
An open Post Study Work Visa of up to three years generally goes to graduates of a Bachelor's degree or higher (Level 7 degree and above on the NZ Qualifications Framework), studied in New Zealand. "Open" means it is not tied to one employer — you can work for anyone, in any role, while you look for a job that leads somewhere.
Master's and doctoral graduates sit in the same band. A PhD does not add a fourth year; the cap is three.
The one-year version
A shorter, one-year Post Study Work Visa applies to some Level 7 non-degree qualifications and certain lower-level programmes, and usually only when the field of study lines up with an occupation on a skills shortage list. This is the tier most people get wrong: a one-year graduate diploma in a field with no shortage attached often carries no open work visa at all.
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When you get nothing
Foundation courses, English-language programmes, most Level 1–6 certificates and diplomas, and study done while you were on a visitor or working holiday visa do not lead to a Post Study Work Visa. Studying at a campus outside New Zealand — even with a New Zealand provider — also breaks eligibility.
Why this matters before you enrol, not after
The single most expensive mistake here is choosing a programme for its price or intake date and only checking the post-study rights afterwards. Two diplomas with near-identical names and fees can have completely different outcomes — one on a pathway to the Accredited Employer Work Visa and residence, the other a dead end.
Check the level and field of any programme against its post-study outcome before you pay a deposit. Our programme catalog lists the level for each course, and the Post Study Work Visa page has the current rules — this is one of the areas Immigration New Zealand revises most often, so confirm the detail there.
Frequently asked questions
Does every New Zealand degree lead to a 3-year work visa?+
No. Bachelor's degrees and above generally do, if studied in New Zealand. Sub-degree qualifications lead to a shorter visa or none at all, often depending on whether the field is on a shortage list.
Can the Post Study Work Visa lead to residence?+
Indirectly. It gives you time to find skilled employment, which can then support an Accredited Employer Work Visa and, depending on your occupation and pay, a Green List or Skilled Migrant Category residence application.
Does a PhD get more than three years?+
No. Three years is the maximum open Post Study Work Visa regardless of degree level.
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