Hyderabad to Hamilton: Techie's Route to New Zealand Residency

Three-year post-study visa in New Zealand offers a path to permanent residency through a points-based system

- Neil Borate

Siddhartha Thyagaraj, an automation specialist with a company in New Zealand, is now a permanent resident of that country. Thyagaraj went to New Zealand in 2020 for a Master's degree in information technology project management. After he completed the program, in about nine months, he applied for New Zealand's post-study work visa, which is given for a period of three years after obtaining a graduate or postgraduate degree from a New Zealand university.

From student to resident

Thyagaraj was earlier employed with Accenture Plc. in India, which helped him land a job in New Zealand shortly after graduation. This allowed him to transition from his post-study work visa to a residency visa that came with employment.

The residency visa category was discontinued by New Zealand after 2022 (its closest equivalent currently is the skilled migrant category visa). After two years on the residency visa, Thyagaraj applied for and got a permanent residency visa (similar to the US's green card).

"Life in New Zealand is quiet, comfortable, and organized. The flip side for Indian students is the very small job market here," he said.