new zealandvisasworking
NZ student visa work limit rises to 25 hours a week
International students in New Zealand can now work up to 25 hours a week during term time, up from 20. The change took effect on 3 November 2025 and applies automatically to any student visa granted on or after that date. If you already hold a visa capped at 20 hours, you need to actively apply to get the higher limit — it isn’t backdated automatically.
What changed
Immigration New Zealand raised the standard in-study work limit from 20 to 25 hours per week. The rule applies to eligible tertiary students and secondary school students in years 12 and 13 (who also need school and parental permission). It has also been extended to tertiary students on approved exchange or Study Abroad programmes, including those enrolled for a single semester — a group that previously had more limited work rights.
Full-time work during scheduled term breaks, such as summer, was already permitted for most eligible visa holders and hasn’t changed.
Who it affects
- Students granted a new student visa on or after 3 November 2025 — the 25-hour limit applies automatically.
- Existing visa holders still capped at 20 hours who want to work more.
- Year 12–13 secondary students eligible for in-study work, subject to parental and school sign-off.
- Exchange and Study Abroad students, including one-semester enrolments, now eligible for in-study work rights.
What you should do
- Check your current visa conditions before assuming you’re covered — the 25-hour limit is not automatic for visas issued before 3 November 2025.
- If you applied before 18 August 2025, use the specific online variation-of-conditions process for work hours; if you applied after that date through the enhanced Immigration Online system, apply through that portal instead.
- Alternatively, the general INZ 1020 Variation of Conditions form covers this change, but the dedicated process may be faster.
- Budget for the NZD $325 application fee if you need a variation of conditions.
- If your visa is close to renewal anyway, it may be simpler to pick up the new limit at your next application rather than pay for a standalone variation.
Full conditions and the application pathway are set out on the visas and working pages, and employers should check their obligations before rostering students for extra hours.
What hasn’t changed
Full-time work during scheduled breaks was already allowed for most students and remains unaffected. Postgraduate research students — those doing a master’s by research or a PhD — continue to have unlimited work rights, unrelated to this change.