Work conditions for tertiary students

At a glance

International students enrolled at a tertiary institution or private training establishment may be granted work conditions on their student visa, including up to 25 hours per week during the academic year, full-time work during scheduled vacations, and unlimited work for research higher degrees. Students aged 16 or 17 require written permission from their education provider and a parent. Eligibility is tied to the programme of study, provider type, and in some cases English language test results. [U13.15]

Definition

U13.15 sets out four tiers of work conditions for student visa holders:

• General provision: A student visa may be endorsed with conditions allowing work during the academic year and any scheduled vacations, including within the academic year. Holders aged 16 or 17 must have written permission from their education provider and written parental consent to be granted work conditions. [U13.15]

• 25 hours per week (U13.15.1): A student may be permitted to work up to 25 hours in any given week during the validity of the visa if they are:

  1. Undertaking a full-time programme of study of at least two academic years' duration;
  2. Undertaking a full-time programme culminating in a New Zealand qualification at Level 4 or higher on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework (NZQF);
     • Note: Micro-credentials are excluded.
  3. Participating in an approved tertiary student exchange scheme;
  4. Enrolled in a full-time programme of at least 24 teaching weeks' duration that is primarily aimed at developing English language skills, and the student provides acceptable English language test results (set out below) that are no more than two years old at the time of application; or
  5. Undertaking full-time English language study of at least 14 consecutive weeks' duration at a university or a provider holding Category One status under the NZQA External Evaluation and Review (EER) system. Previous consecutive English language study on the current or a prior student visa may be counted toward the 14 weeks if the new programme follows directly and is with the same provider.
  6. Enrolled in a full-time Study Abroad programme under a partnership agreement with a New Zealand tertiary education institution.

• Christmas-New Year vacation full-time work (U13.15.5): A student visa may be endorsed with conditions allowing full-time work during the Christmas-New Year vacation if the student is studying full-time and enrolled in a programme with a minimum duration of at least two semesters over at least eight months.

• Full-time work during all scheduled vacations (U13.15.10): A student visa may be granted full-time work rights during all scheduled vacations if the student is undertaking a full-time programme of at least one academic year (defined as 120 credits over a minimum of eight months, comprising at least two semesters). However, for programmes offered by tertiary providers other than universities, full-time work rights may not be granted if the scheduled vacations account for more than one-third of the programme's duration.

• Unlimited work for research higher degrees (U13.15.15): A student visa may be endorsed with unlimited work rights if the student is undertaking a Masters by Research or Doctoral degree awarded by a New Zealand tertiary institution.

English language test thresholds (U13.15.20): For the English language study pathway under (d) above, the following test scores are accepted:

Test	Minimum overall score
IELTS (General or Academic)	5.0
TOEFL iBT	35
PTE Academic	36
B2 First (First Certificate in English)	154
Occupational English Test (OET)	Grade C or higher in all four skills

[U13.15]

Application in decisions

Immigration officers exercise discretion whether to impose work conditions on a student visa; however, if the student meets the criteria set out in U13.15, the officer will normally grant the relevant work conditions. The conditions are recorded on the visa label and the student must comply with any hour restrictions. Students applying for a visa should indicate their eligibility for work rights at the time of application and provide supporting evidence (e.g., programme confirmation, test score reports, provider permission if under 18). Officers may also apply these instructions to any eligible application submitted before 3 November 2025 that remained undecided as of that date, even if the application was made under earlier rules. [U13.15]

Interpretation & edge cases

• Minors: Students aged 16 or 17 must supply both written permission from the education provider and written parental consent; without both, work conditions cannot be granted. [U13.15]
• Micro-credentials: Programmes listed on the NZQCF as micro-credentials are not qualifications, so they cannot support a 25-hour work condition under the Level 4+ qualification pathway. [U13.15]
• English language study continuity: The 14-week consecutive English language requirement under pathway (e) can be satisfied by combining previous English language study on the current and any prior student visa, provided the studies were with the same provider and the new programme follows immediately after. [U13.15]
• Vacation duration cap: For non-university providers, if scheduled vacations account for more than one-third of the total programme duration, full-time work rights during those vacations are not available, even if the programme otherwise meets the academic-year criteria. [U13.15]
• Transitional applications: The 3 November 2025 effective date is subject to a saving provision: an application submitted before that date that had not yet been decided may still be assessed under U13.15, ensuring pending applicants are not disadvantaged. [U13.15]
• Research degree students: Unlimited work rights attach only to Masters by Research or Doctoral candidates at New Zealand tertiary institutions; taught Masters degrees do not qualify. [U13.15]

Citations

• U13.15 — Work conditions for students enrolled at a tertiary institution or private training establishment