Photo: RNZ / Yiting Lin
Student visa holders can work up to 25 hours per week during a semester under new rules introduced by Immigration New Zealand on 3 November.
Before the announcement, eligible tertiary and secondary school students were limited to 20 hours per week each semester.
The five-hour increase will apply to all new student visas granted from 3 November, even if the application was submitted earlier.
The change forms part of the government's International Education Going for Growth Plan, which is aimed at boosting the international education sector while ensuring high academic standards and managing immigration risks.
"We are changing some immigration rules to help the country grow in a sustainable way, attract more international students, keep education standards high and manage immigration risks," Immigration New Zealand said in a statement.
Students holding visas with the previous 20-hour limit who wished to work up to 25 hours were required to apply for a variation of conditions or a new visa, the agency said.
Provisions allowing full-time work during scheduled academic breaks remained unchanged, it said.
Students in Years 12 and 13 needed to provide written consent from both parents and the school to work up to 25 hours, it said.
The new policy also extended in-study work rights to tertiary students enrolled in approved exchange or Study Abroad programmes, including those studying for only one semester.
According to Immigration New Zealand, almost 41,000 students held visas with in-study work rights at the time of the announcement.
Of these, 29,790 visas were set to expire on or before 31 March 2026, while 11,197 were due to expire after that date.
The changes also applied to Dependent Child Visitor Visa holders and Skilled Migrant Category Interim Visa holders.
Meanwhile, Immigration New Zealand has clarified that students changing education providers or lowering their level of study would generally need to apply for a new visa, rather than a simple variation, unless the change was due to unavoidable circumstances such as an institutional closure.
The government said additional changes were being considered, including a short-term work visa for some vocational graduates and streamlined visa processes to support the education sector's growth.
