Indian students face longer New Zealand visa delays as scrutiny rises

Indian students applying for New Zealand visas are facing longer processing delays this year, with applications now taking nearly twice as long as those from China, according to new figures from Immigration New Zealand (INZ), according to a report by RNZ. As per Immigration New Zealand data,applications from India processed between January 1 and April 21 took an average of 30 working days. During the same period, applications from China took an average of 16 working days.
The processing time for Indian applications has also increased sharply from 19 working days recorded during the same period in 2025.

“Processing times vary by country due to application volumes and complexity,” Celia Coombes, director visa at Immigration New Zealand, told Radio New Zealand (RNZ).


“Applications received in 2026 have increased by 11 percent compared with 2025, which can lengthen average processing times,” she said.

Rejection rates improve, but delays continue

Indian student visa applicants had faced high rejection rates in recent years. In early 2024, nearly half of all student visa applications from India were declined.

The approval rate improved in 2025, with Immigration New Zealand approving 75.4% of Indian student visa applications and declining 23.7%.

Between January 1 and April 21 this year, the decline rate dropped further to 21.5 percent. However, advisers said longer processing timelines remain a major concern.

Arunima Dhingra, senior immigration adviser and CEO of Aims Global, said delays were affecting both students and immigration professionals.

“India is a high volume,” Dhingra told RNZ. “High scrutiny but also a high value market for New Zealand.”

She said applications from Indian students were facing stronger checks on financial documents and genuine study intent.

“The two other areas INZ is very careful about are funds and genuine intent, but I think what we are seeing is a lack of calibration,” she said.

Dhingra added that students missing intake deadlines risk losing confidence in New Zealand as a study destination.

“When students miss intakes that only happen once a year, it erodes trust,” she said.