To qualify for a Post Study Work Visa, you need 30 weeks of full-time study in the Masters program itself. Cross crediting a PG Dip won’t cut it—follow the visa rules to avoid issues with Immigration New Zealand. If you still have questions, contact Immigration Lawyer NZ.
If you're a student looking to cross credit a Post Graduate Diploma (PG Dip) into a Masters, thinking it's a fast track to a longer Post Study Work Visa (PSWV), you'd better listen up. The visa rules are crystal clear: you need at least 30 weeks of full-time study in the specific qualification you're presenting for that work visa.
Some students have already hit a wall by cross crediting their PG Dip into a Masters, thinking they'd be set for a three-year PSWV. But because they didn’t complete the required 30 weeks of full-time study in the Masters itself, they found themselves in hot water with Immigration New Zealand (INZ). Now, INZ is trying to sort it out, but it's a messy business.
The takeaway is simple: if you want that three-year PSWV, make sure you’ve done your time—30 weeks of full-time study in the Masters programme, no shortcuts. The qualifications might seem similar, but they’re treated very differently when it comes to your visa. So, make sure you’ve got all your ducks in a row before you apply. And if you're an agent or an education provider, you'd better be across these rules too, or you might be giving your students some bad advice.
In short, don’t try to game the system. The rules are there, and if you don’t follow them, you’re going to get caught out.
