Partners of International Students in New Zealand Can Work in These Sectors

Partners of some international students in New Zealand can work in different sectors, including health and social services, business, engineering, trades, and more, if they qualify for the Partner of Student Work Visa.

New Zealand has recently changed its rules regarding the eligibility of international students’ dependents to work in the country. Immigration New Zealand has updated these rules to allow dependents to apply for a work visa with open conditions, Erudera.com reports.

The change can benefit married couples where one partner is pursuing a degree in New Zealand and the other wants to work while staying in the country.

Accompanying dependents can apply for a Partner of Student Work Visa with open conditions if their partner is studying “level 7 or 8 qualifications specified on the Green List.”

Roles included in the Green List, which was first introduced in 2022, align with labor market needs in New Zealand, for which the government is seeking to attract talent from outside the country to fill these 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,” Immigration New Zealand explains.

According to Immigration New Zealand, the Green List sectors are:

• Agriculture: Assistant Dairy Farm Manager, Dairy Cattle Farm Manager, Dairy Cattle Farmer, Dairy Farm Manager, Dairy Herd Manager
• Business Professionals: External Auditor, Internal Auditor
• Civil Machinery Operators: Backhoe Operator, Bulldozer Operator, Earthmoving Plant Operator (General), Excavator Operator, Grader Operator, Loader Operator
• Construction: Building Associate, Building Project Manager, Construction Project Manager, Crane Operator, Project Builder, Quantity Surveyor, Site Foreman, Surveyor
• Engineering: including jobs in telecommunications, electronics, aviation, etc.
• Factory Process Worker: Halal Slaughterer
• Health and Social Services: different job opportunities in hospitals and clinics, including Psychiatrists, Nurses, Psychologists, Veterinarians, Dermatologists, Dentist, Educational Psychologist
• ICT, Electronics, and Telecommunication: Chief Information Officer, Database Administrator, Developer Programmer, ICT Security Specialist, Multimedia Specialist, Software Engineer, and more.
• Primary Industries and Science: Other Spatial Scientist
• Primary Industries and Science Roles: Environmental Research Scientist and Food Technologist
• Protective Service Workers: Corrections Officer
• Trades: Automotive Electrician, Electrician (general), Motorcycle Mechanic, Plumber and more.

“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 here,” a government notice reads.

The latest official data released show that the number of international students in New Zealand has sharply increased from 2022. Last year, there were 69,135 international students studying at schools, universities, language, and vocational institutions in the country, a 67 percent increase from 2022.

The university sector has seen a notable improvement from the COVID-19 pandemic, reaching 86 percent of pre-pandemic levels.

“Over 69,000 enrolments from international students all over the world is good news for our education sector and positive for our communities. It confirms that New Zealand is an attractive place to study, offering a quality learning experience inside and outside the classroom in a safe, welcoming environment,” Acting Chief Executive of Education New Zealand Linda Sissons said.

China and India are the largest source countries of international students in New Zealand, accounting for 46 percent of the total student population, or 35 percent and 11 percent, respectively. Japan is the third top market, followed by South Korea and Thailand.

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