The job rights and regulations for partners of students studying in New Zealand have been updated. The modified requirements for spouses of students with visas to be eligible for employment have been incorporated into the revised immigration guidelines. If a person's spouse is pursuing a higher education degree that is listed on the Green List, such as a level 7 or 8 qualification, they may be eligible for a work visa.

In New Zealand, positions and vocations on the Green List are in demand. If your position is listed and you meet the requirements for registration, experience, or qualifications, you can be eligible for residency either right away or after two years of employment 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.