New Zealand Caps Research Master's Students at 25 Work Hours Under 4 New Visa Rules

Unlimited in-study work rights for new master's-by-research students have been removed, and those students now get the same 25 hours a week and full-time during holidays as every other new master's student, under rules Immigration New Zealand brought in from 27 October 2026. The hours cut is narrow. It will only apply to new student visas where applications were made on or after 27 October 2026, so current visa holders and most other students keep the hours they already have. The same package strengthens English language checks, widens the power to suspend visa processing, and gives some students an extra month after their course ends. For Metaintro readers who study in New Zealand, or plan to, the useful detail is in the official visa rules on hours, pay, English evidence and the window to apply for a post-study work visa.

What Are the Four Student Visa Changes New Zealand Made in October?

INZ made three changes to protect the integrity of student visas, and a fourth change to help students after they finish their course. All four take effect from 27 October 2026. Here is each one, in full.

• Work rights for research master's students. Research master's applicants move to 25 hours a week and full-time during holidays, the same as all new master's students.
• English ability. INZ has strengthened immigration instructions to specify that English language ability is a key factor in determining if a student can meet the conditions of their student visa.
• Suspending processing. INZ can now formally suspend processing of student visas in a broader range of circumstances, including when non-compliance by an education provider is still being determined.
• More time after study. Student visas expire on 31 March or 1 month after course end date, depending on the duration and course of study. INZ is extending the 1 month to 2 months after course end date, to give students more time to decide their next step, and the 31 March date remains unchanged.

Taken together, the package covers work rights, compliance requirements, visa processing procedures and timelines for students nearing the end of their courses.

Who Actually Loses Work Hours, and Who Keeps Them?

Only one group loses hours. New applicants for student visas for masters-by-research programmes will no longer be able to work full-time, and their visas will include the same work rights as most other student visas. The change reinforces that the primary purpose of a student visa is to study.

Students already holding a research master's visa are outside the new rule, since it will only apply to new student visas. Current holders keep the hours on their existing visa, and existing visa holders should check the conditions attached to their visas. Your exact limit is printed in your visa conditions, which are recorded on your eVisa or in INZ's visa letter to you.

Doctoral students will continue to enjoy unlimited work rights. There is no limit on the hours you can work if you are enrolled in a doctoral degree (PhD) at a New Zealand tertiary institution, with one condition, if you work full-time, you must also keep studying full-time.

Coursework master's students keep the same hours limit that research master's students are now moved onto. The October changes do not touch the hours rules for other tertiary students, which are set out on INZ's working on a student visa page.

What Counts as a Master's by Research for Visa Purposes?

This matters because it decides who is affected. Until this change, along with PhD students, Masters by Research students are eligible for unlimited work rights under immigration instruction U13.15.15, which INZ clarified in May 2025.

The test was the size of the research part. To qualify, a student had to be enrolled in a Masters degree where they are undertaking a thesis, dissertation, substantial research paper, or scholarly creative work of at least 90 credits. A master's degree composed of less than 90 credits of research is considered a Masters by coursework, so coursework master's students never had unlimited hours in the first place.

Two degree structures qualified. A Masters by thesis includes 120 credits, of which 90 credits (at level 9) consist of a research project, and a Masters by thesis and coursework includes 240 credits, of which at least 90 credits (at level 9) are in the form of a thesis or similar work. Research master's students at private training establishments could also get unlimited hours as an exception to instructions (ETI) for the duration of their Masters qualification. For new applicants, that route is closed, because all new master's students will now have the same work rights conditions.

Unlimited in-study work rights for new master’s-by-research students have been removed, according to the Immigration New Zealand announcement.

How Many Hours Can International Students Work in New Zealand Now?

The standard limit for most students is unchanged. With a student visa, you may be allowed to work part-time for up to 25 hours a week, if your visa conditions allow it. Work conditions can only be granted if the student is 16 years or older, regardless of the type of study.

Tertiary students can work up to 25 hours if they are studying full-time for a New Zealand qualification at Level 4 or higher, or on an approved exchange or Study Abroad programme for at least 1 semester, among other routes. Not every course counts. You cannot work if you are in a training scheme or studying towards a micro-credential, because these are not qualifications.

Full-time work in scheduled breaks has its own test. It applies if you study for at least 1 academic year, your course is worth at least 120 credits, and it has a minimum of 2 semesters during at least 8 months. Required work placements sit outside the cap, because time you spend doing practical work experience is in addition to the hours you are allowed to work under your visa.

Does This Reverse the November 2025 Increase in Work Hours?

No. The 2025 change raised the limit, and the October 2026 change leaves the 25-hour limit in place for most other student visas. On 3 November 2025, INZ moved to increase the number of hours eligible students can work while you have a student visa, from 20 to 25 hours a week, as part of the International Education Going for Growth Plan, a government plan from July 2025.

That earlier package also extended in-study work rights to tertiary students enrolled in approved exchange or Study Abroad programmes, including one-semester students. At the time, there were 40,987 student visa holders with in-study work rights, and 29,790 visas were set to expire on or before 31 March 2026. Holders of older 20-hour visas could switch, and the fee to apply for a variation of conditions under any system is NZD $325 (about US$185).

So the new rule does not take back the extra 5 hours. It brings one group with unlimited hours down to the same work rights conditions as other new master's students. The government also flagged in 2025 that additional changes were being considered, including a short-term work visa for some vocational graduates.

How Will English Ability Be Judged on a Student Visa?

English now carries more weight in the visa decision. INZ has made it a key factor in determining if a student can meet the conditions of their student visa. That makes English proficiency a more explicit consideration in the existing genuine-student test, where you must have genuine intentions to study in New Zealand and comply with your visa conditions, which includes making academic progress and meeting attendance requirements.

The October changes do not introduce a mandatory English-language test or a universal minimum score for all international student visa applicants. If your course has English language or academic requirements, evidence of English language test results are not mandatory but can help INZ assess your genuine intention to study, and evidence can include an online verification report for current tertiary study, or English language test results, such as IELTS or TOEFL.

Your school's paperwork matters too. An offer of place must include a declaration from the provider that you have the English language ability and academic capability to pass the course. If your course has English or academic entry requirements, officers may ask questions about them, and you can send evidence that you meet them.

What Happens When INZ Suspends Visa Processing for a Provider?

Previously, the circumstances in which processing could be formally suspended were more limited. The October change widens it to a broader range of circumstances, including when non-compliance by an education provider is still being determined. In practice, students applying to a provider under review could experience delays in their visa applications before any final finding against the institution.

How long such suspensions could last, what criteria would trigger them and what protections affected students would get are not specified in the INZ announcement.

Changing schools is not a quick fix either. Since November 2025, if you change your education provider or lower your level of study, in most cases you will need to apply for a new student visa, not just a variation of conditions. A variation may still be considered where the change is beyond your control, such as a provider closing down suddenly.

What Does the Visa Itself Ask of You on Money and Fees?

None of the four October changes touches the funds rules. If you are paying for yourself, for tertiary, English language or other non-compulsory study you must show NZD $20,000 for each year if you are studying for 1 year or more (about US$11,370), or NZD $1,667 for each month if your study is shorter than 1 year (about US$948).

Tuition comes first. Unless you are exempt, you must be able to show you have paid the tuition fees for 1 course, or 1 year of study, whichever is shorter, although if you apply from outside New Zealand you can choose not to pay your tuition fees until INZ approves the application in principle. For longer degrees, a credible plan for how you will pay for your tuition fees and living costs for the following years can strengthen your application. The visa can be issued for a maximum of 4 years.

If you do work, the pay floor is the same as for local staff. From 1 April 2026, the adult minimum wage is $23.95 an hour in NZD (about US$13.62) before tax, and temporary migrant workers have the same minimum employment rights as New Zealand workers. Workers paid below that rate can call 0800 20 90 20.

If you plan to apply for another visa after you finish your study, declare it in your application, according to the INZ guidance on genuine intentions to study.

How Does the Extra Month After Your Course Help With Post-Study Work?

The one-month option becomes two months, so students whose visas expire one month after their course ends will now have two months. INZ has not clarified whether the extension will automatically benefit existing visa holders or apply only to new visas in its announcement.

The extra time is useful for the next visa. The Post-Study Work Visa lets you stay and work in New Zealand for up to 3 years depending on the level of your qualification and how long you spent studying for it. It is open to holders of a level 8 postgraduate Diploma, level 9 masters degree or level 10 doctoral degree, among others, and a degree at level 7 or higher must have been studied full-time for at least 30 weeks in New Zealand.

Deadlines are tied to your student visa end date. Most graduates must apply for a Post-Study Work Visa (PSWV) no later than 3 months after your student visa expires, while doctoral graduates have no later than 6 months. You also need bank statements showing at least NZD $5,000 in total for your stay (about US$2,843). Graduates with a degree at level 7 or higher can do any work in any job, anywhere in New Zealand, subject to the visa's conditions.

Declaring a post-study visa plan in your student visa application will not be viewed negatively.

What This Means for International Students and Job Seekers, and What Should You Do Next?

For most students, the hours cut is smaller than it first sounds. For most other student visas, the weekly limit is unchanged. The students who lose out are new research master's applicants, who will no longer be able to work full-time during term.

The bigger shift is in the checks. English language ability is a key factor now, and INZ can formally suspend processing of student visas in more situations, including while a provider's compliance is still being determined, so build a strong application file and choose your school with care. Students comparing study destinations can also read how Canada set a work limit for international students. Students planning to look for local part-time work can read the figures on New Zealand teen unemployment and job starts.

• Check your eVisa. Your hours are recorded on your eVisa or in INZ's visa letter, and that is the limit that applies to you.
• Research master's applicants, budget for 25 hours. If you apply on or after 27 October 2026, do not plan around full-time term work. If you want unlimited hours, only a PhD still carries them.
• Send English evidence. If your course has English entry requirements, test results are not mandatory but can help INZ assess your genuine intention to study, so include them.
• Mark your post-study deadline. Count from your student visa end date and apply within 3 months if you want to stay and work.

Lacey Kaelani, Metaintro's CEO, puts it this way: A rule change only costs you if you find out late, so read your own visa conditions now and plan your study, work and next visa around what they actually say.

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People Also Asked

Q: How many hours can international students work in New Zealand?

A: Student visa holders may be allowed to work part-time for up to 25 hours a week, depending on their course, in term time and full-time in scheduled holidays if their course qualifies, while PhD students have no limit on the hours as long as they keep studying full-time.

Q: Did the new New Zealand student visa rules cut work hours?

A: Only for one group. Unlimited in-study work rights for new master's-by-research students have been removed, and the change applies only to applications made on or after 27 October 2026.

Q: Do I need an IELTS score for a New Zealand student visa?

A: English test results are not mandatory but can help your application, and English ability is now a key factor in determining if a student can meet the conditions of their student visa.

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