# Immigration to NZ - Ph.D. Option



## karan_2891

Hi Friends,

I am an IT BA from India and looking at NZ immigration. I met with a consultant yesterday. He told me that one option would be to get your spouse enrolled for Ph.D in a NZ Univ (he told me it would cost about 3lacs INR for entire course) and I will get a work visa for NZ with full work rights. 

I wanted an advice from this forum members as to if this is a viable and safe option. Also, would employers in NZ be okay to offer jobs to such work visa holders?

Any help in this matter would be highly appreciated...

Thanks..


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## topcat83

karan_2891 said:


> Hi Friends,
> 
> I am an IT BA from India and looking at NZ immigration. I met with a consultant yesterday. He told me that one option would be to get your spouse enrolled for Ph.D in a NZ Univ (he told me it would cost about 3lacs INR for entire course) and I will get a work visa for NZ with full work rights.
> 
> I wanted an advice from this forum members as to if this is a viable and safe option. Also, would employers in NZ be okay to offer jobs to such work visa holders?
> 
> Any help in this matter would be highly appreciated...
> 
> Thanks..


Sounds highly dodgy to me. I think NZ Immigration would be very aware of loopholes like this.

I'd check your facts and the reputation of your immigration agent......


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## Michelle_S

karan_2891 said:


> Hi Friends,
> 
> I am an IT BA from India and looking at NZ immigration. I met with a consultant yesterday. He told me that one option would be to get your spouse enrolled for Ph.D in a NZ Univ (he told me it would cost about 3lacs INR for entire course) and I will get a work visa for NZ with full work rights.
> 
> I wanted an advice from this forum members as to if this is a viable and safe option. Also, would employers in NZ be okay to offer jobs to such work visa holders?
> 
> Any help in this matter would be highly appreciated...
> 
> Thanks..


Hi,

On your query, It would depend on the number of years of student visa your spouse is granted. If your spouse is grated a 3 years student visa (for Phd) straight away, then you will be granted with 3 years work visa automatically (to my understanding). But there are a lot more cases where Phd students are only given 1 year student visa and they have to renew it on the yearly basis (was told by the graduate office from a local uni) and a couple of us is definetely in this scenario.

As long as you are given a 3 years work visa, the employer here will be fine with that as 3 years is a long time... you would be able to apply for PR and granted by then.

Hope this help.


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## Jhagemeister

karan_2891 said:


> Hi Friends,
> 
> I am an IT BA from India and looking at NZ immigration. I met with a consultant yesterday. He told me that one option would be to get your spouse enrolled for Ph.D in a NZ Univ (he told me it would cost about 3lacs INR for entire course) and I will get a work visa for NZ with full work rights.
> 
> I wanted an advice from this forum members as to if this is a viable and safe option. Also, would employers in NZ be okay to offer jobs to such work visa holders?
> 
> Any help in this matter would be highly appreciated...
> 
> Thanks..


My partner is starting a PhD in July at the University of Auckland. She was granted a 3 year student visa and I was granted a 3 year work visa. The 3 year student visa may have been granted due to her having scholarship funding for three years....


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## jawnbc

For PhD students a 3 year visa is the norm: the earliest one can complete a research-only doctorate is usually 3 years. After the 3 years student visas would normally be renewed for 12 months at a time. Most universities in Australia and New Zealand allow a maximum of 4 years to complete a PhD, though a one year extension isn't wholly unusual.

It's one of the strange things about international student experiences: the student themselves can only accept paid work until very restrictive terms. Whereas their partner gets almost complete freedom work-wise (though any professional registration/accreditation requirements for particular professions or industries will of course still apply).

What part of the U of A will she be studying in? I'll be working in medicine as of August (or September, depending on visa processing).


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## Jhagemeister

jawnbc said:


> For PhD students a 3 year visa is the norm: the earliest one can complete a research-only doctorate is usually 3 years. After the 3 years student visas would normally be renewed for 12 months at a time. Most universities in Australia and New Zealand allow a maximum of 4 years to complete a PhD, though a one year extension isn't wholly unusual.
> 
> It's one of the strange things about international student experiences: the student themselves can only accept paid work until very restrictive terms. Whereas their partner gets almost complete freedom work-wise (though any professional registration/accreditation requirements for particular professions or industries will of course still apply).
> 
> What part of the U of A will she be studying in? I'll be working in medicine as of August (or September, depending on visa processing).


My partner will be studying at the Faculty of Medical Health Sciences Tamaki Campus. Where will you be working?


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## jawnbc

Same faculty, but at the Grafton campus


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