New Zealand Tightens Student Visa Rules, Rejects Many Applications

New Zealand has significantly raised scrutiny on international student visa applications, with a refusal rate soaring to 34% between July and September 2026, compared to 13% for the entire 2025–26 financial year. Immigration New Zealand (INZ) rejected 6,273 full-fee student visa applications during this period, nearly matching the 7,503 refusals from the previous financial year.

INZ intensified its review process, especially for master's degree programmes, after discovering an increase in fraudulent supporting documents. Some applicants submitted genuine documents that were later altered or reused across multiple applications.

While specific refusal rates for Nigerian applicants were not disclosed, INZ acknowledged that recently rejected applications from Nigeria raised concerns about fraud or misleading information. Other countries, including India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and China, also faced scrutiny, with Bangladesh having the highest refusal rate at 70%.

INZ emphasized that its assessments are based on individual applications rather than blanket restrictions on any nationality.