Fee Paying Student Visa

New Zealand

Three years after a bachelor's, and a new short-term route

NZD $20,000 per year of living costs for courses of a year or longer, and a Post-Study Work Visa of up to three years for Level 7 qualifications and above. From 16 November 2026 a new Short-Term Graduate Work Visa adds six months of open work rights.

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Figures verified

September 2026

Funds to evidence
NZD $20,000 per year of living costs
Post-study work
Post-Study Work Visa — up to 3 years
Intakes
February · July

SourceImmigration New Zealand — New and updated post-study work visa optionsLast verified September 2026

Why New Zealand

The case, and the conditions.

Visa
Fee Paying Student Visa
Currency
NZD ($)
Processing
Published by visa type and country of application.
A student reading between tall library shelves

New Zealand's post-study settlement is among the most generous available to a bachelor's graduate: up to three years of open work rights for Level 7 qualifications and above. For students whose plan is to work after study rather than immediately return, that length changes the calculation.

The financial requirement is clear. For courses of one year or longer you must show NZD $20,000 per year of living costs, in addition to tuition and travel.

From 16 November 2026 the system adds a Short-Term Graduate Work Visa offering six months of open work rights — aimed at graduates whose qualification does not meet the Post-Study Work Visa criteria. It is a smaller door, but it is a door where previously there was none.

Applicants for the Post-Study Work Visa must show NZD $5,000 in available funds and apply within three months of their student visa expiring — six months for doctoral graduates. Missing that window is not recoverable, and it is the most common self-inflicted loss in New Zealand files.

Changes to plan around

  1. Short-Term Graduate Work Visa from 16 November 2026

    Six months of open work rights for graduates who do not meet the Post-Study Work Visa criteria.

    SourceImmigration New Zealand — New and updated post-study work visa optionsLast verified September 2026

  2. The three-month post-study application window

    Apply within three months of your student visa expiring — six months for doctoral graduates. The window does not extend.

    SourceImmigration New Zealand — New and updated post-study work visa optionsLast verified September 2026

Programmes & institutions

What students in your field study here.

Programmes commonly offered here in the disciplines we specialise in, and the institutions worth knowing. A sample, not a ranking — and not a claim of partnership or placement.

Healthcare & engineering focus

  • Master of Health Sciences
  • Master of Engineering Management

Other programmes that recur

  • Master of Information Technology
  • Master of Professional Accounting
  • Master of Applied Data Science
  • Master of Construction Management

Institutions to know

A sample of well-known institutions, not a ranking. We shortlist against your record, your discipline and your budget.

  • University of Auckland

    Auckland

    The largest research base in the country; broad postgraduate offering.

  • University of Otago

    Dunedin

    Health sciences and a well-established residential college system.

  • Victoria University of Wellington

    Wellington

    Public policy, law and design, in the capital.

  • University of Canterbury

    Christchurch

    Engineering, with lower living costs than Auckland.

  • Massey University

    Palmerston North

    Agriculture, veterinary science and aviation.

  • Auckland University of Technology

    Auckland

    Applied and industry-linked programmes across health and engineering.

Tuition

Additional to the living-cost figure

Tuition is set programme by programme, not nationally. We quote the exact figure from your offer letter and model it against the financial evidence your visa requires — we do not publish averages, because no student pays an average.

Cost of living, line by line

NZD $20,000 per year

For courses of one year or longer. Tuition and travel are required in addition.

The NZD $20,000 figure is a regulatory minimum for living costs. Auckland in particular should be budgeted above it.

Verified requirements

The figures, with the page they came from.

For courses of one year or longer, NZD $20,000 per year of living costs must be shown, in addition to tuition fees and travel. Separately, a Post-Study Work Visa applicant must show NZD $5,000 in available funds.

SourceImmigration New Zealand — New and updated post-study work visa optionsLast verified September 2026

Verified New Zealand Fee Paying Student Visa requirements, each with its source and the date it was last checked.
RequirementFigure in force
Living costs — courses of 1 year or longer

NZD $20,000 per year

In addition to tuition fees and travel costs.

SourceImmigration New Zealand — New and updated post-study work visa optionsLast verified September 2026

Post-Study Work Visa length

Up to 3 years

For Level 7 (bachelor's) qualifications and above.

SourceImmigration New Zealand — New and updated post-study work visa optionsLast verified September 2026

Post-Study Work Visa funds

NZD $5,000

Must be shown as available funds at the time of application.

SourceImmigration New Zealand — New and updated post-study work visa optionsLast verified September 2026

Application window

3 months

From the expiry of your student visa — six months for doctoral graduates.

SourceImmigration New Zealand — New and updated post-study work visa optionsLast verified September 2026

Short-Term Graduate Work Visa

6 months, from 16 November 2026

A new route offering six months of open work rights.

SourceImmigration New Zealand — New and updated post-study work visa optionsLast verified September 2026

The process

From offer letter to decision.

Fee Paying Student Visa

The order matters more than the paperwork. Several of these steps require money to move, or a document to age, before the next one can start.

A vast modern library atrium with towering shelves of books
  1. 01

    Accept an offer of place

    Varies by institution

    From an institution with the relevant approval to enrol international students.

  2. 02

    Pay tuition and obtain the receipt

    1–2 weeks

    The receipt of fee payment is a required visa document.

  3. 03

    Evidence NZD $20,000 living costs

    Concurrent

    Per year, for courses of one year or longer, in addition to fees and travel.

  4. 04

    Apply online with medicals and police certificates

    1–3 weeks

    Chest X-rays and medical certificates are required for most applicants for longer courses.

  5. 05

    Decision, then plan the post-study window

    Per published times

    Diarise the three-month Post-Study Work Visa application window from the day your student visa is granted.

Rights and pathways

What the visa lets you do.

Work rights are conditions printed on the visa you are actually granted, not a national constant. Read the grant notice — where we quote hours or caps, we quote them from the published source rather than a figure that may already have moved.

  • After you graduate

    Post-Study Work Visa — up to 3 years

    Up to three years of open work rights for Level 7 (bachelor's) qualifications and above. Applicants must show NZD $5,000 in available funds and apply within three months of their student visa expiring — six months for doctoral graduates. From 16 November 2026 a Short-Term Graduate Work Visa offers six months of open work rights as an additional option.

    SourceImmigration New Zealand — New and updated post-study work visa optionsLast verified September 2026

  • While you study

    Part-time during study, full-time in scheduled breaks, per the visa granted.

    Most students on degree-level programmes hold part-time work rights during study and full-time rights in scheduled breaks, subject to the conditions on the visa granted.

  • Toward residence

    Skilled work residence categories that are periodically revised.

    Residence is reached through skilled work categories that are periodically revised. Three years of open work rights is a genuine runway, but residence itself remains a separate and competitive process.

  • English tests accepted

    IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic and NZCEL, depending on the institution

  • Processing

    Immigration New Zealand publishes current processing times by visa type and country. Apply well before the February and July intake dates.

Common refusal grounds

What gets New Zealand files refused.

Almost none of it is academic. These are the grounds we prepare against from the first week of a file.

  1. Living-cost funds shown inclusive of tuition

    How we pre-empt it

    The NZD $20,000 is separate from fees. We present the two lines distinctly.

  2. Incomplete medical or police documentation

    How we pre-empt it

    We schedule medicals and certificates in the first fortnight of the file.

  3. A study plan that does not explain the choice of New Zealand

    How we pre-empt it

    We write the plan against the specific programme and the labour market it feeds.

  4. Missing the post-study application window

    How we pre-empt it

    We diarise the three-month window with you at the point of visa grant, not at graduation.

Example pathways

Profiles that consider New Zealand.

Example pathways describe typical profiles. They are not testimonials and do not describe any individual student or outcome.

All six example pathways

Start here

New Zealand, or one of the other six?

Book a free profile assessment. We will tell you honestly whether this destination fits your record, what would have to change first, and — if it is the better answer — which of the other six fits it better.

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Talk to an advisor

WhatsApp us
  • +92 300 0000000
  • Mon–Sat, 10:00–18:00 PKT
  • Fees and services are discussed openly during consultation.

The other six

Most students compare at least three.

Compare country guides

Important — please read

Medica Study Advisor is an independent study-abroad consultancy. We are not a law firm and do not provide immigration legal advice. Visa rules, fees and financial thresholds change frequently — always confirm current requirements with the relevant official government authority before acting. Figures shown were last verified in September 2026.

Medica Study Advisor does not guarantee admissions, visa outcomes, jobs or sponsorships. We provide guidance, information and support to help you pursue opportunities responsibly.

Verified againstImmigration New Zealand — New and updated post-study work visa optionsLast verified September 2026

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