Can New Zealand Students Work 25 Hours a Week? Older Visas, Research Degrees and Holiday Conditions

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An eligible New Zealand student visa can allow up to 25 hours of part-time work a week, but the entitlement is not automatic for every student. If an older eVisa still allows only 20 hours, obtain the appropriate approved variation before using the higher limit. Research master's and doctoral study have different hours provisions, while holidays and the period after course completion need separate checks.

Read the permission you actually hold

INZ records work conditions on the eVisa or approval letter. Some tertiary, English-language and secondary courses can qualify for work rights, but a course description or another student's permission is not your own authorisation. If you believe the course meets the requirements and your visa does not show the relevant work right, contact INZ rather than treating the offer of place as permission to start.

The increase to 25 hours took effect on 3 November 2025. Holders of earlier visas carrying a 20-hour condition can apply for a variation if eligible. Submitting that request does not bring the new condition into force. Wait for approval and the updated eVisa before scheduling hours that depend on the change.

Research master's is not a label for every master's course

INZ provides unlimited work hours for students enrolled in a Research Masters or doctoral programme at a New Zealand tertiary institution, while requiring full-time study to continue. A taught master's is not automatically a research programme. Use the formal course and visa information to establish the position rather than relying on the word master's in a marketing title.

A doctoral student wanting to suspend study and work full-time must follow the specified process with the education provider and INZ. Unlimited hours do not remove academic obligations or authorise an informal study break. If the studies are ended, assess the appropriate alternative visa rather than assuming that student work permission continues unchanged.

Check which holiday permission applies

Period	What to verify
Part-time work during study	The weekly limit and entitlement on your own eVisa
Full-time work in scheduled breaks	The applicable academic-year, 120-credit, two-semester and eight-month requirements
Christmas and New Year holiday work	The summer work condition and applicable course requirements
After the course ends	Whether the current condition permits the proposed work; not every gap is a scheduled holiday

Scheduled study breaks and summer work conditions are distinct. Where a visa permits work only in scheduled holidays, completing the course without returning to the same course and provider does not turn the following summer into such a break. A holder with the applicable summer full-time condition can check that provision while the visa remains valid. Read the actual wording before accepting a post-course roster.

Course placements and self-employment are different issues

Practical experience required by the approved course can be reflected in the visa conditions, with evidence that the work is a genuine course requirement. Ordinary paid work does not become exempt from the usual limit merely because an employer calls it an internship. Obtain the provider's course evidence and match it to the immigration permission.

International students cannot be self-employed: they must work for an employer and have an employment agreement. Freelance services or invoicing clients is not made permissible by staying below 25 hours. A future PSWV may have different self-employment rules, but an intention to apply for one does not change today's student visa conditions.

Keep the permission and roster aligned

Keep the complete current eVisa and any approved variation, identifying the version in force.
Ask the provider for the formal course type, holiday calendar and required placement arrangements.
Explain the actual limit to employers and retain all rosters and pay records.
Recheck work rights when changing courses, suspending study, finishing or changing visas.

Do not replace a weekly limit with a monthly average or treat several jobs as separate full allowances. Assess the combined arrangement against your permission. Student visa expiry, a pending work application and interim permission are separate matters, each with its own conditions. Until a new visa or variation takes effect, work within the permission currently in force.