Changes to New Zealand student visa work rights

Immigration New Zealand recently announced an increase in the student visa work hours cap.

New Zealand Ministry of Education in collaboration with New Zealand Immigration have announced an increase in the cap on student visa work hours from 20 to 25 hours per week during semester.

The changed, to take effect on November 3, will only apply to new student visas granted from that date. Existing visa holders will need to apply for a variation of conditions or a new student visa, else will remain limited to 20 hours per week. 

Are you compliant? Check out these articles on NZ work rights compliance:

• NZ Work Rights Legislation
• Student Visas and Work Rights in New Zealand
• Want to know more about how vSure can help? Book a demo today.

Student visa work hours to increase from November 3

The New Zealand International Education Going for Growth Plan, launched in July 2025, outlines the Government’s actions to double the value of international education from $3.6 billion in 2024 to $7.2b by 2034.

International education was identified as a key contributor to the Government’s Going for Growth approach to grow New Zealand’s economy.

A key strategy from the plan announce on July 14, 2025 was the increase in the cap on student visa work rights, from 20 to 25 hours per week.

To take effect from 3 November 2025, eligible tertiary and secondary school students will be allowed to work up to 25 hours per week during term – an increase from the current 20 hour limit. This will only apply to all new student visas granted from that date, even if the application was submitted earlier.

Existing student visa holders with a 20 hour work limit will need to apply for a variation of conditions or a new student visa in order to increase their entitlement to 25 hours. 

Many student visas already allow full-time work during summer and other scheduled breaks. If your visa includes this, the visa holder might not need to apply for the extra 5 hours right away. They can choose to apply for the variation of conditions after summer, if their visa is still valid.

Implications for NZ employers

The way the goverment has chosen to apply this change only to new student visas and not to all student visas in general, creates challenges for employers. It means that after November 3 2025, employers may have student visa holders with different work entitlements. This potentially creates havock for rostering with some students allowed to work 25 hours whilst others will need to be limited to 20.

Throw in the mix the ability for some student visa holders to work fulltime during summer holidays, and it means a compliance headache for New Zealand employers trying to manage work hours across their student visa holding staff.

How many student visa holders are there in New Zealand

There are currently 40,987 student visa holders with in-study work rights in New Zealand. Of these, 29,790 visas are set to expire on or before 31 March 2026, while the remaining 11,197 will expire after that date.

Many student visas already allow full-time work during summer and other scheduled breaks, which for many, coincides with the November 3 through to March period.

For this reason, not all visa holders are expected to apply for the additional 5 hours of work rights. Some may choose to wait until their next visa application to include the change, rather than pay to vary their current visa conditions. Others may be nearing the end of their studies and therefore unlikely to apply for the extra work hours.

Visa holding high school students will still need permission to work

School students in years 12 and 13 require parental and school permission for 20 hours in-study work rights during the year. This permission will still be a requirement with the increase to 25 hours a week.

Conclusion

Employers need to be aware that from November 3, 2025 staff with student visas will potentially have varying work entitlements based on when the visa was granted, the course they are doing and when their holidays fall. 

And this is where vSure helps New Zealand employers, by making work rights compliance and manging student visas easy! Request A Demo today!