International graduates with a Level 5 to 7 qualification can apply for a new six-month open work visa from Monday 16 November 2026, Immigration New Zealand (INZ) says.
The Short-Term Graduate Work Visa is aimed at people whose qualification does not make them eligible for a Post-Study Work Visa. INZ says it gives holders time to look for work and, where appropriate, move on to an Accredited Employer Work Visa. No job offer is needed to apply.
Who is eligible
INZ lists these requirements. Applicants must:
- hold a qualification at New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (NZQCF) Level 5 to 7, studied full-time in New Zealand for at least 24 weeks
- have a qualification that is not an English language, foundation or bridging qualification, and that does not qualify them for a Post-Study Work Visa
- have at least NZ$5,000 available to support themselves
- provide a medical certificate and chest X-ray if required for their length of stay
- never have held a Short-Term Graduate Work Visa or a Post-Study Work Visa
- have written approval from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade or Education New Zealand if their study was funded under the New Zealand Scholarship Programme.
The immigration instructions published in Amendment Circular 2026-24 also say the applicant must have completed the qualification their student visa was granted for.
The three-month deadline
Applications must be made within three months of the applicant's student visa expiring. INZ gives an example. If a student visa expired before 16 August 2026, that person will not be eligible when applications open on 16 November.
That means some recent graduates have already missed out, and others will have a short window. Anyone whose student visa ends in the next few months should check the date on their eVisa now.
What the visa allows
The visa runs for six months and gives open work rights. Work has to be for an employer, under an employment agreement or a contract for services. Holders cannot own a business.
It is a one-off. INZ says holders cannot get a second Short-Term Graduate Work Visa or extend the first one.
Holders also cannot support a partner for a work visa or a child for a Dependent Child Student Visa. INZ says they can check whether family could come on a visitor visa instead. Partners can still apply for a work visa on their own merit, and children can apply as international students.
Going back to study
The new visa affects what a graduate can study next. Under the amended instructions, someone who holds or has held a Short-Term Graduate Work Visa can only get another student visa for a bachelor's degree, or a programme at a higher NZQCF level than the qualification the work visa was based on. That new qualification must also lead to Post-Study Work Visa eligibility.
If they then complete that eligible qualification, they may be granted a Post-Study Work Visa later.
Post-Study Work Visa change
INZ has also widened the Post-Study Work Visa from the same date. Graduates who complete a Level 7 Graduate Diploma in New Zealand and also hold a bachelor's degree will be eligible, according to the amendment circular.
How to apply
Applications for both the Short-Term Graduate Work Visa and the Post-Study Work Visa will go through enhanced Immigration Online from 16 November, Education New Zealand says in its September update from INZ. Applicants log in using the button at the top right of the INZ website.
Immigration NZ hasn't published the fee or processing time yet.
Sources
- Immigration New Zealand, "New Short-Term Graduate Work Visa launching on 16 November 2026" (10 Sep 2026): https://www.immigration.govt.nz/about-us/news-centre/new-short-term-graduate-work-visa-launching-on-16-november-2026/
- Immigration New Zealand, Amendment Circular 2026-24: https://www.immigration.govt.nz/assets/inz/documents/amendment-circulars/amendment-circular-2026-24.pdf
- Education New Zealand, "Update from Immigration New Zealand – September 2026": https://www.enz.govt.nz/news-and-research/ed-news/update-from-immigration-new-zealand-september-2026
- Immigration New Zealand, "Staying to work after finishing your study": https://www.immigration.govt.nz/study/after-you-finish-your-study/staying-to-work-after-finishing-your-study/
