Kia ora Laura,
 
On behalf of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment I
acknowledge your email of 12/12/2025 requesting, under the Official
Information Act 1982, the following:
 
1）Application Location and Eligibility for a Post-study Work Visa
A person initially studied in New Zealand as an international student and
subsequently lodged a refugee/protection claim in New Zealand. While a
decision on that claim has not yet been made, the person has completed
their studies in New Zealand and has been awarded an eligible
qualification. Could you please advise:

①Before a decision is made on the refugee/protection claim, can the person
apply for a Post-study Work Visa from within New Zealand? If not, what is
the typical duration of the interim visa they would be granted?
②Can the person apply for a Post-study Work Visa from outside New Zealand
(i.e., leave New Zealand first and then lodge the application offshore)?

2） Average or Indicative Processing Times in 2025 for Refugee/Protection
Claims and Appeals
①In 2025, what is the average or indicative processing time from lodgement
to decision for a refugee/protection claim?
  ②If the outcome proceeds to an appeal, what is the average or indicative
processing time for the appeal stage?
 
We will endeavour to respond to your request as soon as possible, and no
later than 2/02/2026, being 20 working days after the day your request
was received. If we are unable to respond to your request by then, we will
notify you of an extension of that timeframe. Please note that the days
from 25 December 2025 to 15 January 2026 (inclusive) are defined as
non-working days in the Act and are not counted in the calculation for the
response due date. This will affect the time period for responding to your
request. If you have any enquiries regarding your request feel free to
contact us via email to [1][MBIE request email].
 
Nāku noa, nā
Ministerial Services
Strategy and Assurance
Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment
15 Stout Street, Wellington 6011 |  P O Box 1473 Wellington 6140

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[MBIE request email]

Kia ora,

Your email had been forwarded to the Customer Service Centre for a partial
response.

To address point 1 of your query, please see below for an insight into the
eligibility criteria of a Post-Study Work visa. You may also note that the
application may be submitted both onshore and offshore provided that you
no later than 3 months after your student visa expires.

 

[1]Post Study Work Visa  

In terms of an interim visa, if it were to be issued, the duration granted
is generally up to 6 months. If you receive an Interim Visa and we decline
your new visa application, your Interim Visa will expire 21 days after
your application is declined unless the original expiry date is before the
21-day mark.

 

[2]Interim Visa 

 

Point 2 of your email enquiry will be responded to in due course by the
appropriate team.

Ngā mihi,

 

Jess

CLIENT SERVICES ADVISOR

 

MBIE Customer Service Centre, Te Whakatairanga Service Delivery
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, Hīkina Whakatutuki

 

+64 (9) 914 4100
PO Box 1473, Wellington, New Zealand

 

NZBN 9429000106078

 

 

If you wish to provide service feedback, here is the link:
[3]https://feedback.immigration.govt.nz/

Make sure you check out our [4]Immigration ONLINE system when applying for
your next visa.

 

From: [FOI #33238 email]; 
Received: Fri Dec 12 2025 10:23:17 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)
To: OIA 
Subject: Official Information request - Request for Information:
Post-study Work Visa (Onshore/Offshore) and 2025 Refugee/Protection Claim
Processing Timeframes

[Some people who received this message don't often get email from
[FOI #33238 email]. Learn why this is
important at [5]https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific... ]

Dear Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment,

I am writing to request information under the Official Information Act
1982.

1）Application Location and Eligibility for a Post-study Work Visa
A person initially studied in New Zealand as an international student and
subsequently lodged a refugee/protection claim in New Zealand. While a
decision on that claim has not yet been made, the person has completed
their studies in New Zealand and has been awarded an eligible
qualification. Could you please advise:

�Before a decision is made on the refugee/protection claim, can the person
apply for a Post-study Work Visa from within New Zealand? If not, what is
the typical duration of the interim visa they would be granted?
 �Can the person apply for a Post-study Work Visa from outside New Zealand
(i.e., leave New Zealand first and then lodge the application offshore)?

2） Average or Indicative Processing Times in 2025 for Refugee/Protection
Claims and Appeals
  �In 2025, what is the average or indicative processing time from
lodgement to decision for a refugee/protection claim?
   �If the outcome proceeds to an appeal, what is the average or
indicative processing time for the appeal stage?

Yours faithfully,

Laura

-------------------------------------------------------------------

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #33238 email]

Is [MBIE request email] the wrong address for Official Information requests to
Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment? If so, please contact
us using this form:
[6]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[7]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

References

Visible links
1. https://www.immigration.govt.nz/visas/po...
2. https://www.immigration.govt.nz/visas/in...
3. https://feedback.immigration.govt.nz/
https://feedback.immigration.govt.nz/
4. https://www.immigration.govt.nz/process-...
5. https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific...
6. https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...
7. https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

Kia ora, 

Thank you for your email. 

Our Immigration Contact Centre is open from 06:00 to 22:00 Monday to
Friday (NZT), excluding public holidays. For faster response to your
enquiry, we recommend that you contact us during these hours.
Alternatively, we aim to respond to queries to this email address within 3
working days.  

For New Zealand visa information, please refer to our website at
www.immigration.govt.nz  

If your email is regarding the status of your online application, please
log in to your Immigration account. 

Nga mihi, 

MBIE Customer Service Centre | Ministry of Business, Innovation &
Employment (MBIE)

Kia ora Laura,

 

Please see attached the partial transfer letter for your Official
Information Act request.

 

Nāku noa, nā

 

Izla

 

MINISTERIAL SERVICES

Immigration New Zealand

Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment

15 Stout Street, PO BOX 1473, Wellington 6140

 

Tçnâ koe Laura,

We acknowledge receipt of your request partially transferred to the
Ministry of Justice, under the Official Information Act 1982. 

 

This has been forwarded onto the relevant business unit to respond to. 

  

You can expect a response by 9 February 2026. This response date takes
into account the OIA summer holidays which are between 25 December 2025 –
15 January 2026. 

 

Ngâ mihi nui,

 

Ministerial Services

   

Communications and Ministerial Services | Corporate Services

Ministry of Justice | Tâhû o te Ture [1]justice.govt.nz

 

 

From: INZ OIAs <[email address]>
Sent: Thursday, 18 December 2025 1:21 pm
To: [FOI #33238 email]
Subject: DOIA-REQ-0025290 - Laura - Partial Transfer Letter CRM:0306933

 

Kia ora Laura,

 

Please see attached the partial transfer letter for your Official
Information Act request.

 

Nâku noa, nâ

 

Izla

 

MINISTERIAL SERVICES

Immigration New Zealand

Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment

15 Stout Street, PO BOX 1473, Wellington 6140

 

References

Visible links
1. http://www.justice.govt.nz/

Good morning Laura,

 

Thank you for contacting us and I apologise for the delay in responding to
your query.

 

Your email has been forwarded to the Contact Centre for a partial response
- Question 1.  

 

Before a decision is made on the refugee/protection claim, can the person
apply for a Post-study Work Visa from within New Zealand? If not, what is
the typical duration of the interim visa they would be granted?

 

The Immigration Instruction does not restrict an applicant from lodging an
application for a Post-study Work Visa when they have an open claim, as
long as they are meeting the criteria set out under [1]WD3.1.  It should
also be noted that refugee and protection claimants are only able to be
granted a visa duration of 12 months, regardless of the durations set out
under the relevant instructions.

 

Interim visas are only able to be awarded to applicants who hold a current
visa that is due to expire and have an open visa application (note: an
open claim does not qualify as an open application).  Interim visas tend
to be awarded for a duration of 6 months, although the conditions do vary
and if the open visa application is declined or withdrawn the duration
shortens to 21 days from the decision being made.

Can the person apply for a Post-study Work Visa from outside New Zealand
(i.e., leave New Zealand first and then lodge the application offshore)?

 

The Immigration Instruction does not restrict an applicant from lodging an
application for a Post-study Work Visa from offshore as long as they are
meeting the degree criteria under [2]WD3.1 (a) and the timeframe criteria
set out under [3]WD3.1 (b).

 

If a refugee and protection claimant leaves New Zealand, the claim will
not continue to be assessed, and it would be withdrawn as per immigration
instruction [4]E8.10.5(c) and section [5]142 of the Immigration Act 2009.

 

 

Kind regards,

 

Leute S

CLIENT SERVICES ADVISOR

 

MBIE Customer Service Centre, Te Whakatairanga Service Delivery
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, Hīkina Whakatutuki

 

+64 (9) 914 4100
PO Box 1473, Wellington, New Zealand

 

NZBN 9429000106078

 

 

If you wish to provide service feedback, here is the link:
[6]https://feedback.immigration.govt.nz/

Make sure you check out our [7]Immigration ONLINE system when applying for
your next visa.

 

 

 

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