New Zealand has introduced four changes to its student visa rules, affecting international students’ work rights, visa compliance requirements and post-study options.
The changes, which took effect on 27 October 2026, apply to students under specific visa conditions.
Under the revised rules, master’s-by-research students will no longer have unlimited work rights while studying.
They will instead be subject to the same conditions as other master’s students, allowing them to work up to 25 hours a week during term time and full-time during scheduled holidays.
Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has also strengthened English-language requirements as part of its assessment of whether students can comply with their visa conditions.
The changes give INZ greater powers to suspend student visa processing in additional circumstances, including investigations into potential non-compliance by education providers.
In a further change, some students whose visas expire one month after their course ends will now have two months to decide on their next steps.
However, the existing 31 March expiry date will remain unchanged for visas that follow that schedule.
