New Zealand raises working hours for international students

By Minh Nga July 14, 2025 | 03:00 pm PT

People walk outside a Starbucks cafe on Lambton Quay street in Wellington, New Zealand, July 23, 2020. Photo by Reuters

International students with valid study visas in New Zealand will be allowed to work an additional 5 hours per week starting this November, increasing the weekly limit to 25 hours during the academic term.

According to Immigration New Zealand (INZ), the rule applies to all international students granted a visa from Nov. 3 onwards.

Students holding older visas, currently limited to 20 hours of work per week, must apply to change their visa conditions or apply for a new visa to increase their working hours to 25 hours a week. They will also need to pay the applicable immigration fees for this change.

For students in years 12 and 13, parental and school permission is required for work during the academic year. This permission will still be necessary for the 25-hour limit.

This change is part of New Zealand's "International Education Going for Growth Plan," announced by the government on Monday.

The plan aims to increase the annual economic contribution of higher education to NZ$7.2 billion (US$4.3 billion) by raising international student enrollment from 83,700 last year to 119,000 by 2034.

Education Minister Erica Stanford said in a statement that with international student enrolments steadily increasing since 2023, the government wants to "supercharge that growth track," Reuters reported.

"In the short term, Education New Zealand will focus its promotional efforts on markets with the highest potential for growth," she added.

Currently, there are 40,987 student visa holders with work rights, of which 29,790 visas will expire on or before March 31, 2026, and 11,197 visas will expire after that date.

In addition to extending working hours, New Zealand is also expanding the right to work for all university students involved in exchange or short-term programs, including one-semester courses. Students who change schools or lower-level courses will need to apply for a new study visa.

Since October last year, the fee for a New Zealand study visa has risen to NZ$750, doubling from the previous NZ$375. The visa fee for international students working after graduation has also increased substantially, from NZ$700 to NZ$1,670.

New Zealand hosted 74,990 international students of all levels last year, down from a peak of 125,410 in 2016, according to data from the Ministry of Education, as reported by NZ Herald.

Universities have seen a slight rise in numbers since the pandemic, with about 45,590 students expected in 2024.