Indian students applying for New Zealand student visas from outside the country are facing a significantly lower approval rate than applicants from China, with only 49.3 per cent of Indian applications approved between January and September 13, 2026, according to Immigration New Zealand (INZ) data.
The difference becomes clearer when the two largest applicant markets are compared. India recorded 8,463 offshore student visa applications during the period, while China recorded 8,273. Despite the broadly similar application volumes, the approval rate for Chinese applicants was 94.9 per cent. This means the approval gap between Indian and Chinese applicants stood at 45.6 percentage points during the period covered by the data.
| Year | India Approved | China Approved |
| 2022 | About 72% | About 96% |
| 2023 | 58% | 94% |
| 2024 | 48% | 95% |
| 2025 | 59% | 97% |
| 2026 (1 Jan to 13 Sep) | 49.3% | 94.9% |
In practical terms, roughly one in two Indian applications was approved, compared with about 19 out of every 20 applications from China.
The gap
The gap has also persisted over several years. According to the figures provided by INZ, around 72 per cent of Indian applications were approved in 2022. The rate fell to 58 per cent in 2023 and further to 48 per cent in 2024 before recovering to 59 per cent in 2025. It stood at 49.3 per cent during the first eight-and-a-half months of 2026.
China, meanwhile, recorded approval rates of about 96 per cent in 2022, 94 per cent in 2023, 95 per cent in 2024, 97 per cent in 2025 and 94.9 per cent in 2026 so far.
The 2024 figures show the scale of the difference. INZ’s official offshore data records 11,338 applications from India, of which 5,452 were approved and 5,698 were declined. This gave India an approval rate of 48 per cent and a decline rate of 50 per cent. China had 10,996 applications, with 10,400 approvals and 432 declines, resulting in a 95 per cent approval rate.
The pattern continued in 2025. INZ recorded 7,235 applications from India, with 4,276 approvals and 2,838 declines. The approval rate was 59 per cent. China recorded 9,959 applications, of which 9,704 were approved and 139 declined, giving an approval rate of 97 per cent.
The issue is not only the number of refusals but also the opportunity given to applicants to respond to concerns. Separate data obtained under New Zealand’s Official Information Act by the New Zealand Association of Migration Advisers, covering more than 100,000 student visa applications processed since August 2025, found that 41.2 per cent of offshore Indian applications were declined, compared with 2.4 per cent from China.
Among the applications that were declined, only 13 per cent of Indian applicants received an opportunity to respond to concerns raised by INZ before a decision was made. The corresponding figure for Chinese applicants was 50 per cent.
INZ has said the difference in outcomes reflects the mix of applications it receives rather than its processing system. It has pointed to financial requirements as one factor in Indian refusals, including cases involving false or misleading financial information. The authority has also said applications from complex markets such as Bangladesh have increased sharply and that it has to balance requests for additional information with processing productivity.
For Indian students, the figures underline the importance of demonstrating that they meet the financial requirements and providing accurate and verifiable information in their applications.
Education agents have said they accept the need for strong checks to prevent fraud. However, they are asking INZ to explain refusal reasons more clearly and ensure that genuine students have a fair opportunity to respond when concerns arise during the assessment process.
The issue is particularly relevant for Indian students because India remains one of New Zealand’s largest international student markets. INZ’s own 2023 data recorded 8,810 offshore applications from India, with 5,074 approvals and 3,523 declines, giving an approval rate of 58 per cent.
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