The number of Indian student visa applications to New Zealand recorded a fall for a record third consecutive year in 2017, as reported by Radio NZ earlier today.
According to Radio NZ report, the total number of visa application received by Immigration New Zealand (INZ) had dropped in 2017 to only 9429, after peaking in 2015 when INZ had received a record 25,977 applications for a study permit.
The numbers had begun to fall in 2016 when INZ only received 16, 380 applications.
In tandem with the declining numbers of total applications being received by INZ, there has also been fall in the rate of rejection of applications by the INZ.
While in 2015, when INZ was flooded with a record number of applications, the rejection rate was 50 per cent.
In 2017, this was reduced to 32 per cent rejection out of the total 9429 applications.
It is important to note that students from countries with offshore visa decline rates of more than 20 percent must meet tougher English language requirements to gain a study visa.