Foreign school leavers awaiting the result of their family residency visa application in New Zealand will have the right to work part-time starting on October 1, 2024.
The decision to increase access to work for this category of migrants was initially announced on July 2024 by the country’s Immigration Minister Erica Stanford, VisaGuide.World reports.
Under the existing laws, migrant school leavers in New Zealand are unable to work. Consequently, they remain on visitor visas for long periods as they may not be able to pay international student fees and cannot qualify for skilled work visas.
Regarding this issue, Stanford said that the new policy aims to give these foreigners the opportunity to contribute and live decent lives in New Zealand.
As I said while in Opposition, this is a critical time in any young person’s life. We want to ensure that migrants aged 17-24 who are onshore, have completed secondary school and applied for residence can continue to contribute and live a meaningful life in New Zealand.
Eligibility for Work Rights: Who Can Apply?
To enjoy access to part-time work, migrant school leavers in New Zealand must meet specific requirements, including being an applicant on an already already-lodged application for one of the residence visas listed below:
- Dependent Child Resident Visa
- Skilled Migrant Category Visa (either current or pre-October 2023 visa criteria)
- Straight to Residence Visa
- Work to Residence Visa
- Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa
- Transport Sector Work to Residence Visa
Immigration authorities further noted that applicants should also have or be eligible to apply for a Child of a Worker Visitor Visa or a New Zealander Visitor Visa.
In addition, applicants must be aged 18 to 24 years old (inclusive) or 17 years old and provide proof of high school completion.
Those who qualify will be entitled to work up to 20 hours per week between February 1 and November 30 and 40 hours per week between December 1 and January 31.
As further explained, this aligns with the work rights for Year 12 and 13 students holding a Dependent Child Student Visa.
This change makes sure the same work rights are available across visas open to migrant school leavers awaiting a residence decision.
Authorities noted that migrant school leavers who meet the above criteria and have a visitor visa will be able to apply for a change of teir visitor visa terms to enjoy work access starting on October 1.
Meanwhile, those who are eligible and applying for a visitor visa can also apply for work rights as part of their visa application.
In addition to the above-mentioned policy, New Zealand recently announced some updates regarding post-study work visas (PSWV), new application requirements, and increased student visa costs.