Despite an increased interest in visiting New Zealand, many Indian nationals continue to face challenges securing visitor visas.
From January 1 to September 8, Immigration New Zealand has revealed that it processed 42,542 first-time visitor visa applications from Indian applicants, approving 32,085.
The figure represents a rejection rate of nearly 23 percent, with a total of 9,970 applications denied, raising concerns among Indian travelers, VisaGuide.World reports.
Indian Applicants Submitted 91,748 Visitor Visa Applications to New Zealand Last Year
In 2023, first-time applicants from India submitted 91,748 visitor visa applications, achieving a 68 percent approval rate and a 30 percent rejection rate.
Despite these challenges, the total number of visa applications from India is rising in the post-COVID period, Radio New Zealand explains.
This growth is driven by the increasing desire for overseas travel among India’s expanding middle class, relaxed visa policies from various countries, and a younger population eager to explore new destinations.
A recent report by MakeMyTrip Limited indicates that the number of Indian residents taking two or more trips abroad in a year surged by 32 percent from June 2023 to May 2024.
The United Arab Emirates, Thailand, and the United States emerged as the top three destinations for Indian travelers, followed by Singapore and Indonesia. Many Southeast Asian and Central Asian countries, including Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Kazakhstan, are capitalizing on this travel boom by easing their visa requirements.
Approvals for Indian Applicants Increased Post-Pandemic, but Challenges Remain
Before the pandemic, New Zealand approved 84,288 visas in 2018 and 83,583 in 2019. In 2023, it approved a total of 115,008 visitor visa applications from India, and by August 31, 2024, 97,842 applications had been approved.
New Zealand is seeing a high number of visa applications from nationals of other countries, too. From January 1, 2023, to September 8, 2024, China led visa applications to New Zealand with 315,467 submissions, followed by India with 134,290 applications.
Thailand had the highest approval rate at 96 percent, with 20,654 applications, while Pakistan had the highest rejection rate, with 71 percent of its 7,030 applications denied.
Indian nationals had the second-highest rejection rate during this period, with 28 percent of applicants denied visas. In this regard, Jock Gilray, director of visas at Immigration New Zealand, noted that Immigration New Zealand has observed an increase in well-prepared applications from India recently.
Visa applicants must demonstrate genuine intentions to visit New Zealand temporarily and return home at the end of their stay.
However, he emphasized the importance of ensuring applicants meet the immigration requirements for their specific visa category.