Why study in New Zealand?

Working while you study in New Zealand is a great way to get job experience, make new friends, and help with living costs. Just make sure you follow the work conditions on your student visa and find the right balance between work, study and socialising.

Working while studying
Most students on a student visa can work part time while they study. Some students may be able to work full time during their scheduled semester breaks or holidays, like the summer holiday period. Masters by Research and PhD students do not have a limit on the hours they can work. Many of these students work in their research related fields.

Whether you are allowed to work during your studies depends on the programme of study you are doing. To check which programmes of study will allow you to work, check out Immigration New Zealand’s information about working on a student visa. You can also check your eVisa. It will say if you’re allowed to work while studying in New Zealand. You might also have a letter from Immigration New Zealand telling you that you can work.

If you are allowed to work while you study, you can only work as an employee. This means that you have to work for someone else who is your employer. You cannot be an independent contractor, self-employed or run your own business.

Also remember, when you work in New Zealand you need to pay tax. Find out more about getting paid and paying tax.

Working as part of your studies
In some cases you may need to work as part of your studies (for example if you need to complete a short internship). To do this, you need to have permission from Immigration New Zealand and this will be a condition of your visa. This does not affect any other work right you may have. For example, your visa may allow you to work 20 hours per week and also allow you to complete your work as part of your studies.

If the work as part of your studies is not already mentioned on your visa, you need to vary your visa conditions by applying to Immigration New Zealand.

Check your visa conditions and talk to Immigration New Zealand if you have questions.

Following your visa conditions
Employers are legally required to check that you can work in New Zealand before offering you a job. They can ask to see your eVisa or the letter from Immigration New Zealand telling you that you can work (or they can ask to see both). Your employer may use the Visa Verification Service to check your visa.

You must follow the conditions of your visa. If you break these conditions you may be sent home. It’s really not worth the risk!

If you have any questions about the conditions of your visa, the best people to talk to are Immigration New Zealand (the link will take you to their phone number). Make sure you have these things ready when you call:

your passport number

your Immigration New Zealand client number (this should be in any emails you’ve received from Immigration New Zealand)

your application number or visa number (this should be on your eVisa).

Check out Know your student visa rules and conditions for more information.

Balancing work, study and life
It’s important to remember that the main reason you’re in New Zealand is to study and experience living in a new country. Finding a good balance between working, studying and exploring New Zealand is really important to make the most of your time here. Think about how many hours you can work each week and how you can balance this with your study schedule. Remember, you’re here to have a great experience!

Before you apply for a part time job, think about:

how much extra money you want to earn each week to live comfortably (in addition to the finances you already have)

how much free time you have in your week to work

how you can plan your work around your classes, assignments and exams to make sure you make good progress on your course and complete all the requirements of your course including attendance requirements (which is a factor that Immigration New Zealand may look at if you need to apply for any further study visas)

how much time you need for other things, like making friends or exploring New Zealand

how you’ll manage the stress of working and studying.

Remember, studying can be stressful and you may feel homesick and lonely at times in New Zealand. Only work while you’re studying if you can do it without affecting your study goals and without getting too stressed.

Tip: If you’re trying to figure out how much extra money you want to earn, check out our information about the cost of living in New Zealand. Remember, you must also pay tax if you’re working in New Zealand. Check out our information about getting paid and paying tax for more details.

Jobs you can’t do
As an international student, there are some kinds of work that you can’t do.

You can’t work for yourself. You must work for an employer and be engaged as an employee. This means you can’t work as an independent contractor, be self-employed, or set up your own business or company.

You can’t provide sexual services, operate a business that provides sexual services, or invest in one. There are plenty of better, safer opportunities for you to make money during your time in New Zealand.

Types of work
There are many kinds of work agreements in New Zealand. Here are the most common:

Casual work: This is when you don’t have set hours but work when an employer offers you shifts that suit your needs (like fitting in with your study schedule). Under this type of arrangement the employer does not have to offer you work, and you are free to accept or decline work offered. If you are employed to do casual work this must be made clear in your employment agreement. If you’re working as a waiter or a bartender, it’s likely this will be casual work.

Fixed term agreements: This is for work that finishes on a set date. It includes fruit picking or other work that’s only available at specific times of the year.

Full-time and part-time employment: Full-time work in New Zealand is usually 35–40 hours a week. Part-time work is usually fewer hours but both have the same rights (check these out below) – more rights do not give more hours. You can only work 20 hours per week if you’re on a student visa, unless you’re a Masters or PHD student.

Piece work: This is when an employer pays you for the number of ‘pieces’ you complete. If you pick fruit, for example, you might be paid by the number of buckets you fill. You still need to receive at least the minimum wage for every hour you work. Check out Employment New Zealand’s information about the minimum wage.

Trial periods: If your job is at a small to medium sized employer (fewer than 20 employees) your employer can ask for a trial period of up to 90 days. During this time you get paid and have the same workers’ rights as everyone else (check out the summary below) but you can be dismissed from your job without a warning. Your employer should still provide you with a reason for why you were dismissed if you ask why at the time you are dismissed. Trial periods are legal here but an employer can’t force you to accept one. Before you agree, you should understand how the trial period works. Talk it through with your employer first. The details of the trial period should also be stated in your employment agreement before you start work, so make sure you read the agreement carefully. It’s important to note that if you are dismissed under a trial period you can’t raise a personal grievance (a type of legal claim) for unjustified dismissal.

Self-employment: This is where you work for yourself, rather than working for an employer as an employee. You can’t be self-employed on a student work visa.

It’s important that you fully understand what your rights and responsibilities are for the type of work you’re doing. To help you out, check out Employment New Zealand’s information about different job types.

Finding a job
New Zealand has a wide range of businesses that offer part time and casual work. Businesses in the hospitality industry – bars, cafes and restaurants – are usually happy to hire international students and these jobs often have more flexible hours that are easier to schedule around class times.

Here are a few job options that might suit your study schedule:

waitress or waiter

bartender

cafe or restaurant cook

salesperson in a retail shop (like a clothing store)

fruit picker (these jobs are often during the summer holidays)

Tip: Getting better at speaking English might help you find a job. There are great language apps you can download on your phone so you can practice, like Duolingo , Memrise and Busuu.

Finding a job in New Zealand is easier if you know where to look! Here are some of New Zealand’s best job websites that can help you:

Student Job Search

Careers NZ

SEEK

Work Here

New Kiwis

Trade Me (this is where a lot of Kiwis go to find jobs)

Go with Tourism

You need a good CV (resume) to get a job in New Zealand. If you want help creating one, check out these templates at Careers NZ to help get you started. They’ll show you how to format your CV for New Zealand, what to put on it and how to write a cover letter (a letter to introduce yourself and your skills to your potential employer).

Tip: We asked other international students what helped them get a part time job in New Zealand. Check out their advice, along with a few suggestions of our own!

You have rights as an employee in New Zealand
Working in New Zealand should be a great, and above all, safe experience. Employees here have legal rights that make sure they’re safe and protected at the places they work. These rights are taken seriously by our Government. International students like you have the same legal rights as anyone working in New Zealand, even if they’re not written in your employment agreement.

Before you start applying for jobs, it’s important to understand that you have these rights and to know what they are. Below is a quick summary of what your basic rights are.

Basic rights
As an employee in New Zealand you have the right to:

a written employment agreement

take advice before signing an employment agreement

at least the minimum wage

paid annual and public holidays

set rest and meal breaks, with limited exceptions

a safe workplace

employment that is free from discrimination, for example discrimination based on nationality.

If you’re not getting these basic rights, your employer is breaking the law. There’s more to learn than just the basics, so check out your rights as an employee and what to do if there’s a problem at work