New Zealand extends work rights to more international students

The changes announced today will come into
effect from January 2014

Mumbai Oct 11th 2013(Sailesh Gandhi):  The New Zealand Government announced today that more international students will be allowed to work while they study in New Zealand. The New Zealand Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment, Steven Joyce, and Immigration Minister, Michael Woodhouse, announced that, International PhD and Masters by research students will have unlimited work rights.

 All tertiary-level international students enrolled in a course of at least one academic year will now be able to work full-time during each scheduled semester break. All international students enrolled in an English language course of at least 14 weeks duration at a high-quality provider will be eligible to work up to 20 hours a week.

“Today’s announcements will allow more Indian students to gain valuable work experience while they study in New Zealand,” says Education New Zealand’s Regional Director South Asia Ziena Jalil. As well as helping with living costs, working part-time while studying means students can gain work experience that will give them an edge over other graduates when they finish studying. “New Zealand is a country that’s open to doing things in new ways,” says Ms Jalil. “We encourage learning by doing, and working while you study is a great way to practically apply your new skills and knowledge in a completely different environment to the classroom – and get paid at the same time.”

Immigration New Zealand’s General Manager Service Support, Rob Stevens, says the New Zealand Government has created a website – www.nzstudywork.com – expressly for international students and their New Zealand employers so everyone clearly understands their respective rights and responsibilities. “While the global financial crisis hasn’t hit New Zealand as hard as other countries, it will still take time to find the right job and students must have enough money to cover their living costs while studying,” he says. The New Zealand Government also announced that Immigration New Zealand will no longer grant visas to students seeking to enrol at institutions rated Category 4 by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority. “We want students studying in New Zealand to experience the high quality education we have to offer,” says Ms Jalil.