Skills & career preparation
Develop specialist knowledge and relevant professional qualifications, building on your existing experience.
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STUDY · CAREER · LIFE IN NEW ZEALAND
Study, work & settle in New Zealand
Connect your study choices with your career and family’s future. Prepare the foundations for life in New Zealand.
Explore qualification levelsPLAN YOUR NEXT CHAPTER
Make study part of a practical settlement plan
The highest qualification is not always the best fit. We consider your education and experience alongside your target occupation, study options and immigration requirements.
Qualifications & work opportunities
Check how an eligible qualification relates to skilled residence points and post-study work options.
A plan for your family
Consider your partner’s work eligibility, children’s schooling and visas, accommodation and everyday life.
01 / THE BIG PICTURE
Understand the journey from study to citizenship
A common study-led planning sequence. Individual pathways differ, and citizenship is optional.
01Student visa
Begin study and local life
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Student visa
Begin study and local life
Prepare an offer of place, tuition and living funds, a genuine study purpose and other student visa requirements. Consider your target occupation and any registration requirements before enrolling.
02Permission to work
Build employment and experience
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Permission to work
Build employment and experience
An eligible qualification may support a Post Study Work Visa application. Other work visas have their own employer and job requirements. Holding a work visa does not itself establish eligibility for residence.
03Resident Visa
Establish long-term residence
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Resident Visa
Establish long-term residence
Explore relevant pathways such as the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) or Green List. Check the qualifying job, pay, education, experience, registration, age and English requirements. Study or employment alone does not automatically grant residence.
04Permanent Resident Visa
Travel without expiring travel conditions
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Permanent Resident Visa
Travel without expiring travel conditions
Normally requires at least two continuous years holding a resident visa, compliance with visa conditions and evidence of commitment to New Zealand. One common method is at least 184 days in New Zealand as a resident in each of the two 12-month periods before applying. Other methods exist.
05Citizenship
An optional choice of nationality
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Citizenship
An optional choice of nationality
Most adult applicants need resident status and at least 1,350 days in New Zealand over the preceding five years, including at least 240 days in each 12-month period, plus English, character and intention-to-reside requirements. Ordinary student and work visa time does not count towards this resident presence. A Permanent Resident Visa is not a prerequisite.
A Resident Visa and Permanent Resident Visa are different. Citizenship residence is not counted from the day you begin studying.
02 / STUDY & CAREER OPTIONS
What can each level help you prepare?
Compare options against your education, experience and target occupation. Fields below are examples; course availability and admission requirements are checked during consultation.
LEVEL 9
A master’s degree & settlement planning
For people developing specialist expertise while planning work and family life
How study can support settlement preparation
- A New Zealand master’s degree may attract 6 SMC qualification points if you hold a prior bachelor’s degree and complete at least 30 weeks of full-time study in New Zealand in the master’s programme.
- If this qualification provides 6 points, extra New Zealand skilled work experience is not needed to make up the points. Qualifying skilled employment or a job offer and other requirements still apply.
- An eligible master’s with at least 30 weeks of full-time study and the other requirements can support an application for a three-year Post Study Work Visa.
- There is a pathway for partners of Level 9 students to apply for work visas, subject to relationship evidence and other visa requirements.
Credit transfers or shortened study can affect eligibility. Check the time actually studied in New Zealand within the master’s programme itself.
Fields of study & related careers
| Field or programme | What you study | Related career examples |
|---|---|---|
| Business & management | Strategy, organisational management and business analysis | Business planning, operations and consulting |
| Information technology | Advanced IT, systems design and applied research | Development, systems, networks and IT projects |
| Business informatics | Information systems, business analysis and digital transformation | Business analysis, IT services and information systems management |
| Healthcare management | Healthcare services, organisations and operations | Healthcare administration, service operations and health projects |
| Marketing | Markets, customers, brands and marketing strategy | Marketing planning, market research and brand roles |
| Construction project management | Construction schedules, budgets and risk | Construction project coordination and management |
| Project management | Planning, resources, performance and risk | Project coordination and management |
| Supply chain & logistics | Purchasing, procurement, supply chains and logistics | Procurement, logistics operations and supply chain analysis |
Careers are related examples, not guaranteed jobs. Management roles commonly require relevant experience and practical skills. Healthcare management is not nursing training, and a construction project management degree does not automatically confer engineering or trade registration.
Discuss your study options03 / YOUR FAMILY
Plan life in New Zealand together
Consider your family’s visa, schooling and living arrangements alongside the principal student’s course.
Your partner
Eligible Level 9 and 10 study can support a partner work visa application. Level 7 and 8 eligibility depends on the specific qualification and applicable conditions.
Your children
Student visa and school fee eligibility depend on parents’ visa types and conditions. Enrolling in a master’s degree does not automatically make children eligible for tuition-free schooling.
Everyday life
Consider family size, school location, commuting, accommodation and living costs.
04 / SHALOM EDUCATION
How Shalom Education supports you
Choosing a programme
We consider your qualifications, subject, experience and English to identify relevant study fields and admission options.
Preparing an application
We help clarify institutions, application documents, enrolment procedures and study schedules.
Settling into local life
We support accommodation, arrival preparation, study adjustment and practical planning for your family.
Individual immigration eligibility, strategy and application advice must be checked with a licensed immigration adviser or another legally authorised professional. Shalom’s education and living support is distinct from immigration advice.
05 / QUESTIONS
Frequently asked questions
Does a master’s degree guarantee residence?
No. An eligible master’s can contribute SMC qualification points, but qualifying skilled employment or a job offer, pay, age, English, health, character and other requirements still apply.
Is a higher level always better?
Your target occupation and experience come first. Registered professions require approved training and registration; management careers also depend on relevant experience and real recruitment requirements.
Does a work visa mean I qualify for residence?
A work visa authorises work under its conditions. Residence is assessed separately, including whether your job and pay meet the chosen pathway’s requirements.
Can I apply for citizenship five years after starting study?
Not on that basis alone. The usual citizenship presence requirement concerns time physically present with resident status. Ordinary student and work visa periods do not count towards that resident presence.
Check the official requirements
Information checked: 23 October 2026
Immigration rules and course availability can change. Eligibility and outcomes depend on personal circumstances and the rules when applying. Check the official guidance below.
LET'S PLAN TOGETHER
Start with your education and experience
Tell us your highest qualification, subject, work experience, English level, accompanying family and preferred dates. We will explore study, career and local living preparation together.