Are post-study work visas available after completing a master's in counselling psychology in New Zealand?

If you are completing a Master's in Counselling or Counselling Psychology in New Zealand, you can access a post-study work visa once you graduate. Because your degree sits at Level 9 on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework, it meets the baseline criteria for the country's post-study immigration policy. Your visa gives you real flexibility in how you use it once you finish your degree.

Key Details of Your Post-Study Work Visa

What You Still Need for Professional Practice

Although your visa lets you work in any job, practising professionally as a counsellor or psychotherapist here still requires the right professional credential, such as NZAC provisional membership, or getting registered with the Psychotherapists Board of Aotearoa New Zealand, depending on your exact program structure. You must apply for your Post-Study Work Visa within three months of your student visa expiring or within three months of your official completion or graduation notification from your university.

My Advice

Start your professional registration process alongside your visa application, since holding the right board or professional registration is what actually allows you to practise legally in clinical counselling settings.