New Zealand hikes student, work, tourist visa fees by almost 60% from this October
The New Zealand government has increased the visa fees for almost all categories spanning visit, work, or even study from Tuesday, October 1, 2024, according to a Business Standard report.
Which quoted Immigration Minister Erica Stanford as saying that this is to create a more sustainable immigration system by shifting the financial burden from taxpayers to visa applicants.
Student visa fees rose from NZ$300 to NZ$485. India at 17%, is currently second only to China (35%) as the largest source of students for New Zealand, according to Education New Zealand (ENZ). Visa fees for visitors, particularly tourists, doubled from NZ$190 to NZ$300.
The increased fees will cover processing cost for visas as well as for managing higher-risk applications, the report quoted Stanford as saying. The move can reduce the need for public funding by over NZ$563 million (£338 million) over the next four years, she added.
Stanford also mentioned New Zealand’s visa fees still remain competitive compared to countries like Australia and the United Kingdom.
| S.No | Visa Category | Old Rate | New Rate |
| 1 | Skilled Residence Visa | NZ$2,480 | NZ$2,880 |
| 2 | Entrepreneur Residence Category | NZ$3,710 | NZ$11,320 |
| 3 | Active Investor Plus Category | NZ$4,630 | NZ$12,070 |
| 4 | Family Category | NZ$2,060 | NZ$1,940 |
| 5 | Dependent Child Visa | NZ$2,060 | NZ$1,830 |
| 6 | Parent Retirement Category | NZ$3,710 | NZ$9,430 |
| 7 | Visitor Visa | NZ$190 | NZ$300 |
| 8 | Student Visa | NZ$300 | NZ$485 |
| 9 | Post-study Work Visa | NZ$490 | NZ$320 |
| 10 | Work Visa – Partner | NZ$650 | NZ$570 |
| 11 | Working Holiday Scheme | NZ$210 | NZ$215 |
| 12 | Accredited Employer Work Visa | NZ$540 | NZ$480 |
New Zealand approved 115,008 visas for Indian nationals in 2023, which is a rise from 83,583 in 2019 before the pandemic, according to Immigration New Zealand
Despite this, Indians get a rejection rate of 28%, which is second only to Pakistan’s 71% of applicants being denied visas.