India-New Zealand FTA Opens Study and Work Pathways for Indian Students on October 20

The India-New Zealand FTA comes into force on 20 October 2026. For Indian students, it brings a dedicated student mobility annex, a 4-year post-study work visa for doctoral graduates, and New Zealand’s first Working Holiday Visa allocation for India. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and New Zealand Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay announced the entry-into-force date on 21 September.  The date falls on Dussehra. The agreement was signed on 27 April 2026 in New Delhi. Both governments then completed their internal approvals, clearing the way for the agreement to take effect. 

What the India-New Zealand FTA Includes for Students?

According to India’s official summary of the agreement, this is the first time New Zealand has signed an Annex on Student Mobility and Post Study Work Visa with any country. The annex and related mobility chapters cover five areas: 

• No cap on students: the annex places no numerical limit on the number of Indian students New Zealand can admit. 
• In-study work rights: Indian students can work up to 20 hours a week during study, and this holds even if New Zealand changes its immigration policy later.
• Post-study work visa durations: up to 3 years for STEM bachelor’s graduates, up to 3 years for master’s graduates, and up to 4 years for doctoral graduates.
• Working Holiday Visa: 1,000 young Indians a year can get a multiple-entry visa to spend 12 months in New Zealand.
• Skilled professionals: a new Temporary Employment Entry visa, with up to 5,000 Indians holding it at any given time for stays of up to 3 years. 

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Why It Matters for Indian Students in New Zealand?

What changes depends on the degree you are planning.

• PhD applicants gain an extra year. Under current Immigration New Zealand (INZ) operational instructions, master's and doctoral graduates both receive a 3-year New Zealand post-study work visa.  The India-New Zealand FTA raises the doctoral limit to up to 4 years for Indian nationals. That gives PhD graduates an additional year to secure skilled employment before applying for residence.
• Master's applicants get certainty rather than extra time. Indian master's graduates already qualify for 3 years under existing rules. The treaty adds a protection: if New Zealand later tightens post-study work rules, Indian master's graduates keep the duration written into the agreement. 
• Your work-hour limit stays at 25 hours. Since 3 November 2025, new New Zealand student visas allow up to 25 hours of work a week during the semester. The 20-hour figure in the annex is a guaranteed minimum for Indian students if that limit is ever reduced. It does not replace the current allowance.
• Recent graduates get a new route. The working holiday visa for Indians is new. New Zealand has not previously had a working holiday arrangement with India. INZ has not yet published the age limits, eligibility criteria, fees or application window for the Indian allocation.

A Separate Change Arriving on November 16

Four weeks after the India-New Zealand FTA takes effect, a separate INZ policy change begins. From 16 November 2026, graduates who complete a Level 7 Graduate Diploma in New Zealand and already hold a bachelor's degree, including one from India, become eligible for the Post Study Work Visa. INZ is also opening a six-month Short-Term Graduate Work Visa on the same date.

Our report on New Zealand's new graduate work visa from November 16 breaks down who qualifies and how the two visas differ.

What to Do Now

Do not apply under any FTA-specific visa category before 20 October. INZ is yet to issue the updated visa instructions for the student annex and the Working Holiday Visa. Eligibility details and fees are expected once the agreement is in force.

If you are targeting the February 2027 intake or later, check INZ's student visa pages after 20 October before you lodge your application. Doctoral applicants should confirm with their university's international office how the 4-year post-study entitlement will be reflected in their visa conditions.

To shortlist universities and estimate costs, start with our guide to studying in New Zealand for Indian students, then map your timeline against the New Zealand intakes and deadlines for 2027.

Have questions about the India-New Zealand FTA and your study plans? Book a free session with a LeapScholar counselor.