Recent immigration changes in countries like Canada, the UK and Australia, are affecting large numbers of international students. This is especially the case for postgraduate students who may have been wanting to study and take families with them. Students have also been affected by changes to work rights after postgraduate studies. 

It has long been the international norm that students may take their partner and/or children with them to study for a postgraduate degree. Each country has had visas that allow this. Typically, countries have been very active in wanting to attract postgraduate students. Postgraduate students are highly skilled and in case there is an immigration pathway, make excellent migrants, earning higher salaries and contributing their skills and tax to the countries they settle in.

Often postgraduate students are at a stage of life where they may have a partner and/or children.  In this situation, students benefit from the support of their family members while they study abroad and at the same time, ideally, children are not unnecessarily separated from their parents. 

Meanwhile, some English-speaking countries have recently implemented immigration policies to limit the number of people moving to study there. As an example, Canada has recently capped the number of student visas. The UK has a new rule that partners and children of postgraduate students may no longer apply to accompany the spouse who is studying there. Australia is limiting visa approvals for students from certain countries – more than tripling the number of visa declines for some countries where students are deemed ‘high risk’ of wanting to migrate.

A number of the changes to visa policies in these English-speaking countries relate to demographics and challenges relating to the cost and availability of accommodation for citizens. However, the abrupt changes, across several countries, have been very unsettling for international students planning their futures.

Due to the various changes to visa settings in other countries, New Zealand might now be one of the best options for postgraduate students with dependents – a partner/children. This is because in New Zealand, students still have the following post-study work rights:

  • Master and PhD degree students can apply to work for 3 years after the Master’s degree
  • Postgraduate Diploma students can apply to work for one year after the PGDip
  • (Bachelor students can apply to work 3 years after the Bachelor degree)

Also, in New Zealand, Master’s degree students have the right to bring their partner – who can apply for a Partner of a Student Work visa and their children can apply for domestic status visitor visas. Family can apply for these visas while the primary applicant studies their Master’s degree, and also when that person gains a post-study work visa. 

Our team is here to help students and their families, with offers and the appropriate visas for New Zealand, for each family member.