"Forward looking agreement, will allow students 2 year work visa," Piyush Goyal on FTA with New Zealand

Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday said the free trade agreement (FTA) signed between India and New Zealand is comprehensive and forward looking, and will elevate bilateral relations to a higher strategic level across multiple sectors.

Calling the pact a major step in deepening ties, Goyal said, “This is a free trade agreement with New Zealand which is both comprehensive and forward looking, reflecting the vision of our leaders, Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Luxon to elevate the relations to much higher strategic levels, much more comprehensively, which will not only include trade, education, R&D and innovation, services Sector, tourism, sports.”

The minister said the India–New Zealand FTA is expected to significantly boost India’s exports, as New Zealand will provide zero-duty market access on 100% of its tariff lines, covering all Indian exports from the date the agreement comes into force.


He also highlighted key benefits for Indian students and professionals. Under the FTA provisions, Indian students going to New Zealand for studies will now be eligible for a two-year work visa. The agreement is expected to create greater mobility and open more opportunities for education and employment.

“For those taking a degree course or a bachelor degree with honours, they will be eligible for a 3 years work visa, while those graduating in STEM or taking a post-graduation degree, then they will be eligible for a 4 years work visa,” Goyal said.

The agreement includes cooperation in sectors such as AYUSH, culture, fisheries, audio-visual tourism, forestry, horticulture and traditional knowledge systems. It aims to promote India’s AYUSH systems globally, encourage medical value travel and position India as a global wellness hub.

Goyal said professional work visas will be issued to around 5,000 yoga instructors, chefs, AYUSH professionals and nurses. “Around 5000 of yoga instructors, chefs, AYUSH professionals, nurses will get professional work visas. We have also been able to open up 118 sectors which will give us opportunity to participate in tourism, IT, telecom, Audi-Visual etc.”

Labour-intensive sectors are expected to be among the biggest beneficiaries of the pact. With New Zealand removing tariffs that earlier went up to 10%, Indian exporters of textiles and clothing will get zero-duty access across 1,057 tariff lines.

India’s textile and apparel exports stood at US $36.9 billion in 2024–25, while exports to New Zealand rose to US $103 million. The government expects this figure to grow further, given that New Zealand’s annual global textile imports are valued at nearly US $1.9 billion.