New Zealand Identifies Visa Fraud from Nigeria and Others
Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has raised serious concerns regarding fraudulent student visa applications from Nigeria, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and China. Between July and September 2026, INZ recorded 6,273 refusals of full-fee student visa applications, nearly matching the 7,503 rejections from the entire previous financial year.
The rejection rate surged to 34%, up from 13% in the 2025–26 financial year. INZ attributed the increase partly to stricter checks on master's degree applications, noting a rise in fraudulent supporting documents.
The agency highlighted that the fraud is often sophisticated, involving genuine documents being altered or reused across multiple applications. While Bangladesh and India experienced the highest refusal rates, with 70% and 39% respectively, no comparable figures were provided for Nigeria, China, or Nepal.
INZ also pointed out the role of recruitment agents in facilitating fraud by reusing financial evidence across applications. Despite these issues, New Zealand remains a popular destination for international students.
Plus234Feed summary based on reporting from Legit.ng. Read the original report below.
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