News and Publications
Study to Work Visa - A Review
The Auckland Times
June 2011
by: RAJ PARDEEP SINGH, BA (Hons), LLB
Immigration has always been a concern to all the migrants in New Zealand. Nowadays I am getting queries from lots of current students and they are very much concerned about their future. They are mainly concerned about: What will happen to their visa? Under which visa category they can apply? Why there are so many work visa categories? I would like to discuss some of the student’s issues in the article.
Requirements under the Study to Work category
First of all work visa is temporary visa which allows student to work temporarily in New Zealand
Students may be eligible for a temporary work visa if:
A student is studying in New Zealand and wants to stay and work here after completing his or her studies, then that student may be eligible for a work visa under WD1 Work on completion of a course of study, with an offer of employment or WD2 Graduate job search work visa without offer of employment.
All applicants need to meet health and character requirements of immigration. The other requirement which a student need to meet depends on whether student has a job offer.
Students with a job offer
If a student has an offer of employment relevant to his or her qualification, then a student may be eligible for a work visa for a maximum period of:
• two years; or
• three years, if a student is working towards obtaining a membership or registration from a New Zealand Professional Association( which requires more than two years of relevant practical work experience).
Student will need to provide evidence that:
• Student have a job offer that is relevant to his or her qualification, and
• Student have successfully completed a course in New Zealand that took at least three years to complete, or
• Student has successfully completed a qualification in New Zealand that would qualify for points under the Skilled Migrant Category of Immigration’s Residence policy.
If a student is applying for a three-year work visa because he or she is working towards obtaining a membership or registration from a New Zealand Professional Association (such as the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants or the New Zealand Registered Architects Board), then a student needs to provide to Immigration with more evidence like:
• Student must show that he or she needs membership or registration to fully perform his or her professional duties.
• Student must show that the employment is considered as relevant practical experience by the professional association. Evidence might include documentation from the professional association, or from the employer, which says how the employment meets the association’s requirements.
• Student must show that his or her New Zealand qualification meets the requirements for registration or membership of the professional association.
Student’s application for a work visa must be made no later than three months after the end date of student’s student visa for that course or qualification, unless Student holds a Graduate Job Search Work Visa.
We apply conditions to Student’s Work Visa that relate to Student’s practical experience.
Students without a job offer
If a student has completed a qualification in New Zealand, but he or she does not have a job offer, then that student may be eligible for a Graduate Job Search Work Visa for a maximum of 12 months. So, when Student has found a job, he or she can apply for a further visa for up to two or three years under the Study to Work category.
To be eligible for a Graduate Work Search Visa Student must:
• have successfully completed a qualification in New Zealand that would qualify for points under the Skilled Migrant Category
• apply no later than three months after the end date of the student visa for that qualification
• provide evidence of a minimum of NZ$2,100 available to maintain his or her expenses during Student’s 12-month stay in New Zealand. New Zealand Immigration accepts traveler’s cheques or bank documents in Student’s name.
Student who holds Limited purpose student visa can not apply above visas.
In my experience some students who have studied a National Certificate, National Diploma, New Zealand Diploma or a New Zealand Institute of Management qualification have been providing the incorrect qualification certificates with their applications.
Students need to provide NZQA or NZIM qualification certificates with the work visa applications. So to avoid any delays, please provide the correct documents to INZ. Please talk to education provider in the first instance, if Student has qualified for this award then Student’s provider can apply to NZQA/NZIM for Student’s qualification certificate.
Source: Immigration NZ website.