New Zealand has made changes to its immigration rules. Now, if you are an international student in certain higher education programs, your partner can get a work visa.
These changes make New Zealand a better place for students and their families. It is now easier for partners to get a work visa.
Here are the new rules: If you are a student studying a special program, your partner can get a work visa. These programs are in New Zealand’s Green List of important jobs.
The Green List has jobs that are needed in New Zealand. If your partner wants to work and you study in these programs, they can even get residency faster. Sometimes, they can get residency right away or after two years of working.
What we know
If you have a student visa, you can help your partner and children get their visas too. Your partner can apply for a “Partner of a Student Work Visa” if you study an eligible Level 7 or 8 program from the Green List. These programs include:
- Graduate certificates
- Graduate diplomas
- Bachelor’s degrees
- Postgraduate certificates
- Postgraduate diplomas
- Bachelor’s Honours degrees
This visa lets your partner work anywhere, without needing a job offer first. This gives them more freedom to find a job.
The Green List now includes more degrees that lead to jobs needing professional registration. This means certain jobs have more value because they need a special certification.
If your partner has the new work visa, they can also support your school-aged children. Your children can then apply for a Dependent Child Student Visa. This means they can go to school in New Zealand without paying international tuition fees.
What you should know
Earlier, Newslodge said New Zealand made some work visa rules stricter for certain jobs, like those under the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV).
The Immigration New Zealand website announced that if you have an AEWV in levels 4 and 5 (as per ANZSCO), and do not have a residency pathway, you cannot sponsor visas for your partner or kids.
There’s also a new rule that allows Science, Technology and Mathematics (STEM) school teachers to directly apply for residency under the Green List.