New Delhi: The New Zealand government has announced an increase in visa fees across all categories, effective from October 1. This will impact Indian applicants seeking work, visit or study visas. Immigration Minister Erica Stanford explained that the fee hike is aimed at building a more sustainable immigration system by shifting the financial responsibility from taxpayers to visa applicants.
The student visa fees in New Zealand have increased from NZ$300 to NZ$485. With India accounting for 17 per cent of international students, second only to China at 35 per cent. This change will impact many Indian students, according to Education New Zealand (ENZ). Meanwhile, visitor visa fees, especially for tourists, have jumped from NZ$190 to NZ$300.
The increased fees will cover processing costs for visas and manage higher-risk applications, the report quoted Stanford as saying. She added that this move could reduce the need for public funding by over NZ$563 million (£338 million) over the next four years.
Despite the increase, Stanford highlighted that New Zealand’s visa fees remain competitive when compared to countries like Australia and the United Kingdom.
Here are the important updates on visa fees:
New Zealand in 2023 granted 115,008 visas to Indian nationals, a significant increase from 83,583 in 2019, prior to the pandemic, as reported by Immigration New Zealand. However, despite this rise, Indian applicants face a rejection rate of 28 per cent, which is the second highest after Pakistan, where 71% of applicants are denied visas.
