Country guide
Country guideNew Zealand
Smaller and quieter than Australia, with a post study work visa tied to what you studied and how long you studied it.
- Study applications
- Work visa, if you already hold an offer
New Zealand runs a smaller system than Australia, with eight universities, all state funded and all internationally recognised. For applicants who want an English speaking country without the scale and competition of Sydney or Melbourne, it is a serious option that gets overlooked.
The post study work visa is the thing to understand properly. Its length depends on the level of your qualification and how long you studied, and a master's completed over a longer period generally qualifies for more than a shorter postgraduate diploma. The rules have been tightened more than once, so check the current position rather than an article from two years ago.
Immigration New Zealand assesses whether you are a genuine student, and it does so directly rather than only through your paperwork. A coherent reason for the course matters here as much as the documents do.
We cover New Zealand for study applications. We do not currently offer a work abroad service for New Zealand.
What it costs
Our fee, and everybody else's
Starting prices for the services we run for New Zealand. Every package has a published price and an exclusions list, and the scope is agreed in writing before you pay anything.
Study abroad
Shortlisting with the reasoning written next to every university, applications, statement review and the full document set.
From₹24,000
What is includedWork abroad
Route selection, eligibility scoring and the full application file. Germany and Canada are where we go deepest, but we will work on New Zealand with you either way.
From₹24,000
What is includedVisa and documentation
File preparation and two full review passes, with the weak points named in writing before you submit rather than after.
From₹14,000
What is includedProfile building
For people who are not eligible yet. A written plan for the twelve months that would make you eligible, and the work to get there.
From₹9,000
What is included
Already have a job offer?
We support work abroad for any country on this site, whether or not you already hold an offer. Where you have one, the work is the visa file. Where you do not, it is route selection, eligibility scoring and the search itself.
These are starting prices. Every package and every exclusion is on the pricing page, at the same figures quoted on a call.
Who is being hired
Occupations in demand in New Zealand
- Registered nurses and midwives
- Doctors and specialists
- Engineers, civil and structural
- ICT and software professionals
- Construction trades and surveyors
- Teachers, secondary and early childhood
Read this before you plan around it
Being in a shortage occupation is not eligibility. It usually changes a salary threshold, a points score or a processing queue, and it never removes the need to qualify. These lists are also revised often, so treat this as where demand has been concentrated rather than a promise about today.
Indicative, last reviewed 26 August 2026. The position that governs is on Immigration New Zealand, Green List.
Routes
Ways into New Zealand, and what each one needs
Route 01
Fee paying student visa
People enrolling in a degree at a New Zealand university or institute of technology.
Requirements
- An offer of place from an institution approved by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority
- Evidence of funds for tuition and living costs at the published annual figure
- Medical and police certificates, depending on the length of stay
- Evidence that you are a genuine student with a credible reason for the course
Realistic timeline
Nine to fourteen months including the application cycle
Route 02
Post study work visa
Graduates who want to stay and work after completing a qualifying programme.
Requirements
- A qualification at the level and duration that qualifies under the current rules
- Application before the student visa expires
- The duration granted depends on the level of the qualification and the time spent studying
Realistic timeline
Up to three years, depending on what and how long you studied
The bigger picture
Costs that are not fees at all
| Tuition for an international master'sBroadly comparable to Australia and below the United States. All eight universities publish their international rates openly. | Published per programme by each university |
|---|---|
| Proof of funds for living costsHeld and evidenced, separate from tuition. The figure is set by Immigration New Zealand and revised periodically. | A published annual figure |
| Visa application feeNot returned if the application is declined, which is the usual position. | Published, and non refundable |
| Medical and police certificatesRequired for longer stays. The medical must be done by a panel physician, not any doctor. | Both charged separately |
| Health and travel insuranceUniversities generally require evidence of acceptable cover before enrolment completes. | Required for the length of the course |
| Flights and initial settlementLong flights, and rental deposits usually run to several weeks of rent paid in advance. | ₹150,000 upwards |
Refusals
Why applications get refused, and what helps
- 01
Not accepted as a genuine student
What helps
Be able to explain why this course, why New Zealand, and how it follows from what you have already done. This is assessed explicitly and it is the most common reason a well qualified applicant is declined. - 02
Funds not evidenced to the published level
What helps
Meet the stated annual figure, hold it long enough to be credible, and evidence the relationship and the source if somebody is sponsoring you. - 03
A course that does not follow from your background
What helps
A sharp change of field is not disqualifying, but it must be explained directly in the application rather than left to be inferred. - 04
Assuming the post study work visa without checking the current rules
What helps
Entitlement depends on the level and the duration of your qualification, and the rules have been revised more than once. Confirm the position for your specific programme before you commit.
Immigration rules change constantly, and a page like this is a starting point rather than an authority. Every figure here is approximate and every claim links to the government source that governs it. Before you commit money to any of it, check the current position, or ask us to check it against your profile.
Other countries
Comparing this against somewhere else
What happens next
Find out whether New Zealand is realistic for you
Thirty minutes on video, then a written note within two working days scoring you against the published criteria. If the honest answer is a different country, or a different year, the note will say so.
- 01Free assessment
- Thirty minutes on video with the person who would actually handle your file. Education, work history, language levels, savings, timeline. We tell you which routes are open to you and which are not.
- 30 minutes, no cost
- 02Written plan with your realistic odds
- Your profile scored against the published criteria, the routes worth pursuing, the total cost including every fee that does not come to us, and our honest read on your chances. Some of these plans say the answer is no.
- Within 2 working days
No obligation to buy anything, and we will not call you repeatedly afterwards.