New Zealand allows spouses of students with Green List degrees to apply for a work visa

New Zealand has modified the work rights and rules for partners of students pursuing their education in the country. The instructions on immigration have been revised to reflect the updated criteria for work eligibility for spouses of students with visas. An individual can qualify for a work visa if their spouse is pursuing a higher education degree, such as a level 7 or 8 qualification, that appears on the Green List.

Green List occupations and roles are in demand in New Zealand. If your role is listed, and you have the qualifications, registration or experience required, you may be able to get residence immediately or after 2 years of working in New Zealand.

If you have a student visa, you can support a visitor visa for your partner and children. You may also be able to support a work visa for your partner, or student visas for your dependent children.

Now, New Zealand immigration has allowed partners of students studying level 7 or 8 qualifications specified on the Green List, to now apply for a work visa with open conditions.

It means students with Level 7 graduate certificates, graduate diplomas and Bachelor’s degrees and Level 8 postgraduate certificates, postgraduate diplomas and Bachelor’s Honours degrees will be able to support their partner’s application for a Partner of a Student Work Visa.

Partner of a Student Work Visa allows you to work in New Zealand if you have a partner who is studying an eligible level 7 or 8 qualification or any level 9 or 10 qualification. Your partner must be studying for one of the eligible qualifications, as listed under ‘Your partner’s visa’. You do not need to have a New Zealand job offer to apply.

New Zealand immigration has updated the Green List with the main Bachelor degrees and Bachelor Honours qualifications that lead to registration for certain occupations. These are occupations that have registration as a requirement instead of New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) qualifications.

This means people with student visas studying for these registration qualifications can now support their partner’s application for a Partner of a Student Work Visa.

For partners who are now eligible, their dependent school-aged children can be treated as domestic students. The children can apply for a Dependent Child Student Visa so they will not have to pay tuition fees to go to school. This currently applies to anyone with a Partner of a Student Work Visa.