Government has taken feedback into account and has now come up with the following final changes to immigration settings that come into effect on 26 November 2018. The final changes to post-study work rights, as announced by Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway, include:

• to remove the employer-assisted post-study work visas at all levels;
• to provide a one-year post-study open work visa for students studying Level 4 to 6 and non-degree Level 7 qualifications with an additional year for Graduate Diploma graduates who are working towards registration with a professional or trade body;
• to provide a two-year post-study open work visa for students studying Level 4 to 6 and non-degree Level 7 qualifications outside Auckland provided study is completed by December 2021, at which point the entitlement for post-study work rights reverts to a one-year post-study open work visa for students studying Level 4 to 6 and non-degree Level 7 qualifications with an additional year for Graduate Diploma graduates who are working towards registration with a professional or trade body;
• to provide a three-year post-study open work visa for degree Level 7 or above qualifications; and to require international students studying Level 8 qualifications to be in an area specified on the Long Term Skills Shortage list in order for their partner to be eligible for an open work visa, and in turn the partners’ dependent children to be eligible for fee-free domestic schooling.

How this affects students
Current settings will be grand-parented, so they will not impact current post-study work visa
holders or current students who are undertaking a qualification that (once completed) will
meet the qualification requirements as set out in current immigration.

• remove the employer-assisted post-study work visas at all levels;
• provide a one-year post-study open work visa for students studying Level 4 to 6 and non-degree Level 7 qualifications, with an additional year for Graduate Diploma graduates who are working towards registration with a professional or trade body;
• provide a two-year post-study open work visa for students studying Level 4 to 6 and non-degree Level 7 qualifications outside Auckland provided study is completed by December 2021.

o   At this point the entitlement for post-study work rights reverts to a one-year post-study open work visa for students studying Level 4 to 6 and non-degree Level 7 qualifications with an additional year for Graduate Diploma graduates who are working towards registration with a professional or trade body;

• provide a three-year post-study open work visa for degree Level 7 or above qualifications; and
• require international students studying Level 8 qualifications to be in an area specified on the Long Term Skills Shortage list in order for their partner to be eligible for an open work visa, and in turn for the partners’ dependent children to be eligible for fee-free domestic schooling.

Photo courtesy: www.aspire2international.ac.nz

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