New Zealand is a popular destination for international students from China, India, and Japan. However, obtaining a student visa can be a hurdle for many students. Nearly half of the visa applications for New Zealand from Indian students were rejected this year.

Dip in the number of students due to Covid-19 pandemic

Over the past decade, the number of international students in New Zealand has steadily increased. However, the coronavirus pandemic caused a significant dip in the number of new international students. Due to the border being closed for a long time, international students already in New Zealand were faced with a difficult choice: staying in New Zealand for a longer period without being able to visit family in their home country, or completing their studies in their home country without being able to return to New Zealand. Due to the strict rules, many international students who originally intended to study in New Zealand opted for other destinations. This halved the number of international students in New Zealand, resulting in a significant loss of revenue for New Zealand universities and colleges.

Student visa applications have long processing times

Now that the entry restrictions have been lifted for some time, international students are returning to New Zealand. However, the number of international students in the country has not yet returned to the old level. One reason for this is that it can sometimes take a long time for a student visa to be granted. In December 2023, more than 7,000 student visa applications were submitted, but the average processing time was 26 working days. Moreover, the rejection rates for student visa applications vary significantly by country. For example, since the beginning of 2024, nearly fifty percent of Indian applications have been rejected, while only four percent of applications from China were rejected.

Fraud with student visas

Recently, the current situation regarding the New Zealand visa system has been regularly abused. Unscrupulous educational agencies tried to attract numerous students, especially from India. They did this by promising students a well-paid side-job which would allow them to finance their studies. Most of these educational agencies were located outside New Zealand, so they did not have to comply with New Zealand law. This allowed these agencies to help Indian students to obtain a student visa unlawfully. Among other things, agencies provided false documents that portrayed the financial situation of the students in question more positively than it actually was.

After the visa applications were approved and the Indian students arrived in New Zealand, they were forced to work for very low wages or even pay large amounts to get a job. Once the students protested, they were threatened with losing their student visa and thus their residence permit. The fact that this has occurred much more frequently among Indian students compared to students of other nationalities, suggests that these students are more likely to try to obtain a student visa in fraudulent ways. It appears that the New Zealand immigration services have become particularly strict in assessing visa applications from Indian applicants, due to this. Although the intention is to combat fraud, a side effect is that ordinary students are also unfairly denied access to New Zealand.

The NZeTA for New Zealand

Applying for a student visa is expensive and time-consuming. However, if you want to travel to New Zealand for a different purpose and for a shorter stay, in most cases, you only need the NZeTA (short for New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority). The NZeTA costs £99.95 and can be applied for online within minutes. All you have to do is fill in your contact details, some passport details, and details about your trip, and upload a clear photograph. This does not have to be an official passport photo; a clear, high-quality selfie is sufficient. After completing the application, it takes an average of 5 days for the New Zealand visa to be issued.

The NZeTA is valid for 2 years. During this period, you may travel to New Zealand an unlimited number of times for up to 3 consecutive months at a time. Also, make sure to keep an eye on the validity of your passport, as it must be valid for at least 3 months from the day you leave New Zealand.