New Zealand Drops the Number of Issued Student Visas to Indian Students
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Following the UK, it appears New Zealand has also tightened its student visa rules. In the last five months, New Zealand has issued half as many new student visas to Indian students compared to the same period last year. This has resulted in a lot of potentially capable Indian students being turned down.
From the beginning of July to end of October 2016, New Zealand consulate approved 3,102 visas which is just 48% of the 6,462 approved in the same period for the year 2015.
New Zealand's public radio broadcast channel 'Radio New Zealand' reported that the fall was due to tighter rules and monitoring of student visa applications from India because too many Indian students were “arriving with too little money to support themselves and too little English to study here.”
Richard Goodall, the international education spokesperson of Independent ITENZ (Tertiary Education New Zealand), said the number of visa approvals was lower, but the calibre of students was higher. So the reason behind the stricter rules is essentially maintaining quality intake of students.
Early in 2016 Radio New Zealand released a statement claiming that the Immigration New Zealand rejected student visas of Indian students because most students from the country were “really not coming to study or because they did not have enough finances to support their study and stay costs.”
International students need to show sufficient funds for getting a New Zealand student visa. Students need to show NZ$ 20,000 for a full year of study or NZ$ 1,250 per month for getting a New Zealand study visa.
Cost of New Zealand Student Visa Application
- New Zealand Visa Cost: Students who are submitting their Student Visa Application online are required to pay a base Visa fee of NZD 375 which is INR 19,200 (approximately).
- Candidates who are applying for their Student Visa online from New Delhi are required to pay NZD 430 which is INR 22,000 (approximately) as the receiving centre fees.
- Those applying for a student visa in New Zealand on paper (offline mode) should note that the immigration costs would be INR 22,600, in addition to this students are required to pay a receiving Centre fee of INR 1,520.
The University of Auckland offers the best UG and PG programs for international students at an affordable tuition fees. Auckland Unversity Master in Project Management is slightly better than the Master in Management because of its tuition fees for first year. Mentioned below is the tuition fees for first-year for international students:
| Program | First Year Tuition Fees |
|---|---|
| Master in Project Management | INR 25.11 L |
| Master in Management | INR 26.11 L |
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With a good educational system, excellent quality of life, and a number of research opportunities, New Zealand offers a lot to international students. Auckland, the largest city in New Zealand has a 39 percent population of overseas citizens, making it a culturally diverse city. Moreover, the post-study work visa in New Zealand can offer up to three years of stay back. As per Stats New Zealand, its unemployment rate is 3.4 percent. Students enrolled in a course of 12 months or more can also work part-time in New Zealand for up to 20 hours a week during the semester and holidays.