Indian students face tougher New Zealand visa rules as approval rate falls to 49.3%

Indian students seeking to study in New Zealand are facing a significantly tougher visa environment, with only 49.3% of offshore student visa applications from India approved between January 1 and September 13, 2026, according to Immigration New Zealand (INZ) data.

The figures show a substantial gap between Indian and Chinese applicants. During the same period, 8,463 applications from India were recorded, compared with 8,273 from China. While the application volumes were broadly similar, China's approval rate stood at 94.9%, creating a 45.6 percentage-point gap between the two countries.

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India's New Zealand student visa numbers

The trend indicates that Indian student visa approvals have remained considerably below the levels seen among Chinese applicants. India's approval rate declined from around 72% in 2022 to 58% in 2023, before falling to 48% in 2024. It recovered to 59% in 2025, but slipped again to 49.3% during the first eight-and-a-half months of 2026.

The 2024 data particularly highlights the scale of the issue. Of 11,338 Indian applications, 5,452 were approved while 5,698 were declined. In comparison, China recorded 10,996 applications, with 10,400 approvals and only 432 declines.

The difference has also been visible in 2025. India recorded 4,276 approvals and 2,838 declines out of 7,235 applications, while China had 9,704 approvals from 9,959 applications.

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Why are Indian applications being rejected?

INZ has attributed differences in visa outcomes to the mix and complexity of applications, rather than nationality-based differences in processing. Financial evidence is one area receiving particular scrutiny, with INZ highlighting cases involving inaccurate, false or misleading financial information.

Separate data cited in the report showed that 41.2% of offshore Indian applications were declined, compared with 2.4% for Chinese applicants, since August 2025. It also found that only 13% of declined Indian applicants were allowed to respond to concerns before a decision, compared with 50% of Chinese applicants.

For Indian students, the latest figures underline the importance of submitting complete, accurate and verifiable financial and academic documents. INZ itself advises students from India to apply early because of higher application volumes, particularly before major intakes.