Immigration officials are describing India as “a complex market” and pointing to risks as new data reveals visa approval rates for Indian students have plummeted this year.
In the six months to June 2024, only 27.30 per cent of Indians who applied to study at a Private Training Establishment (PTE) in New Zealand could secure a visa, the worst performance among the top 15 overseas markets.
That means India has now slipped to the rock bottom in the list as compared to last year, when Nepal posted the lowest approval rates for PTE students – at 20.6 per cent compared to 43 per cent for India.
Indian students applying for Te Pukenga institutions and universities are also faring no better. Only 40 per cent of Te Pukenga applications were approved till June this year, as compared to 56.5 per cent last year.
Even at the university level, where approval rates have historically been high, Indian students performed worse than last year, with 70 per cent approval rates as compared to 82.2 per cent in 2023.
Celia Coombes, Immigration New Zealand’s (INZ) Director Visa, says India is an “important market” for New Zealand but also one that is “complex”.
“INZ’s role is to ensure we are striking the balance between facilitating the entry of the people New Zealand needs to work, visit, live or study here and protecting New Zealand from immigration risk,” she says.
“An important part of our role is to protect both New Zealanders and migrants from potential immigration harm.”
She points to an increase in applications from Indian students “who do not meet financial requirements”.
“For example, we are seeing students providing financial information that is unverifiable or funds coming from non-financial banking corporations…
“New Zealand has a robust funds assessment approach and thorough evidential requirements for student visas, and a student visa application will be declined if it does not meet the relevant immigration requirements.”
Pawandeep Singh of Auckland-based Kiwiana Immigration believes rules around financial assessments of applicants are not “black and white” and that often leads to inconsistent decision making.
“There’s scope for discretion. We have had cases where we have felt that a decision on an applicant’s financial integrity was not accurate. When we question INZ on that, we usually get a very vague response.”
Anirudh Raj, Director of Professional Business and Restaurant School, Auckland-based culinary arts PTE, says a negative visa outcome not only discourages students but also the international agents to promote New Zealand as a study destination.
“Lower student visa approval rates are damaging the reputation of the New Zealand education industry globally. This situation not only puts the education providers at stake but also creates a compelling situation for education providers to reduce the staff, which consequently makes high-skilled New Zealanders unemployed.”
INZ’s Coombes says she is aware education providers have raised concerns about the increased rates of visa declines.
“We have regular engagement with the education provider peak bodies…in these engagements we address their concerns and provide information to them and their members.”
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