International students who apply for a visa to study a master's by research from 27 October 2026 will no longer get unlimited work rights, Immigration New Zealand (INZ) says.
They now get the same conditions as other master's students: up to 25 hours a week during study and full-time work in scheduled holidays. INZ says the change "reinforces that the primary purpose of a student visa is to study".
Who it applies to
INZ says the change only applies to new student visas where the application was made on or after 27 October 2026. Students who applied before then should check the conditions on their own eVisa or visa letter.
PhD students are not affected. INZ's page on working on a student visa, updated for the change, still says there is no limit on the hours a student enrolled in a doctoral degree at a New Zealand tertiary institution can work, as long as they keep studying full-time.
What counted as a research master's
Under INZ's earlier guidance, published in a May 2025 Visa Pak, a master's by research meant a degree with a thesis, dissertation, substantial research paper or scholarly creative work worth at least 90 credits at Level 9. Degrees with less than 90 research credits were treated as coursework master's and already had the 25-hour limit.
Other student visa changes on 27 October
INZ made three other changes on the same day.
Student visas that end one month after the course end date will now end two months after it, giving graduates more time to decide what to do next. The 31 March expiry date used for some visas is unchanged.
INZ has also written into its instructions that English language ability is a key factor in deciding whether a student can meet their visa conditions. And it can now suspend processing of student visas in more situations, including while it is still working out whether an education provider has broken the rules.
Background
The 25-hour weekly limit has applied since 3 November 2025, when INZ lifted it from 20 hours for eligible students.
International students cannot be self-employed. INZ says any work must be for an employer under an employment agreement.
Check your conditions
INZ says work conditions are recorded on each student's eVisa or visa letter. Students thinking about a research master's should check what their new visa will allow before taking on a job that needs more than 25 hours a week.
Sources
- Immigration New Zealand, "Changes to student visas" (27 Oct 2026): https://www.immigration.govt.nz/about-us/news-centre/changes-to-student-visas/
- Immigration New Zealand, "Working on a student visa": https://www.immigration.govt.nz/study/once-you-have-a-student-visa/working-on-a-student-visa/
- Immigration New Zealand, Visa Pak "Work right conditions for students undertaking a Masters by Research" (16 May 2025): https://www.immigration.govt.nz/assets/inz/documents/visa-paks/16-may-2025-work-right-conditions-for-students-undertaking-a-masters-by-research-visa-pak-625.pdf
- Immigration New Zealand, "Upcoming changes to student visa work rights": https://www.immigration.govt.nz/about-us/news-centre/upcoming-changes-to-student-visa-work-rights/
