In July the Government announced it will increase access to part-time work rights for migrant high school leavers who are awaiting the outcome of a family residence visa application.

→Migrant school leavers to get part-time work rights

Change will come into effect on 1 October 2024.

If you are eligible and already on a visitor visa, you will be able to apply for a variation of your visitor visa conditions to get these work rights from 1 October.

→Changing the conditions of a visitor visa

If you are eligible and applying for a visitor visa, you will be able to apply for work rights as part of your visa application from 1 October.

Eligibility:

To be eligible to apply for part-time work rights, you must be an applicant on an already-lodged application for one of the following residence visas:

• Dependent Child Resident Visa
• Skilled Migrant Category Visa (either current or pre-October 2023 visa criteria)
• Straight to Residence Visa
• Work to Residence Visa
• Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa
• Transport Sector Work to Residence Visa

You must also:

• already have or be eligible to apply for a Child of a Worker Visitor Visa, or Child of a New Zealander Visitor Visa, and
• be 18 to 24 years old (inclusive), or 17 years old and have evidence of high school completion.

If you are eligible you will be able to work up to:

• 20 hours per week between 1 February and 30 November, and
• 40 hours per week between 1 December and 31 January.

These are the same work rights for Year 12 and 13 students on a Dependent Child Student Visa. This change makes sure the same work rights are available across visas open to migrant school leavers awaiting a residence decision.