Student Visa Work Hours to Increase from November 2025
On 14 July 2025, the New Zealand Government announced changes to student visa work conditions as part of its International Education Going for Growth Plan. The updates aim to attract more international students while supporting sustainable growth and maintaining high education standards.
What’s Changing?
From 3 November 2025, Immigration New Zealand (INZ) will implement the following key updates:
Work hours for student visa holders will increase from 20 to 25 hours per week during term time for eligible tertiary and secondary students.
Students on approved exchange or Study Abroad programmes — including one-semester courses — will now be eligible for in-study work rights.
INZ will require a new student visa (rather than just a variation of conditions) if you change your education provider or lower your level of study.
These changes will apply to all new student visas granted from 3 November 2025, even if the application was submitted earlier.
What If You Already Hold a Student Visa?
If your current visa includes the 20-hour limit and you want to access the extra 5 hours, you’ll need to apply for a variation of conditions or a new visa — standard fees apply.
Many students can already work full-time during summer and scheduled breaks. If your visa allows this, you can wait until after summer to apply for the 25-hour change — as long as your visa remains valid.
For school students (Years 12 and 13), parental and school consent remains a requirement for in-study work rights, including under the new 25-hour limit.
Who Does This Affect?
As of now, over 40,000 student visa holders have in-study work rights:
29,790 have visas expiring by 31 March 2026
11,197 have visas that extend beyond that date
Not all students are expected to apply immediately for the 25-hour allowance. Many may wait until their current visa expires or opt out if they’re close to finishing their studies.
What’s Next?
Further changes are under consideration, including:
A new short-term work visa for some vocational graduates
Streamlined visa processing for certain applicants (subject to Cabinet approval)
These updates form part of New Zealand’s wider strategy to strengthen its international education sector while ensuring immigration settings remain balanced and future-focused.
