New Zealand will double student visa fees starting October 1, 2024, as revealed on the country’s immigration official website.
More specifically, student visa fees will climb from NZD 375 to NZD 750, while post-study work visa fees will increase from NZD 700 to NZD 1,670, VisaGuide.World reports.
In a recent statement, the country’s Immigration Minister Erica Standford said that by adapting visa fees, the government wants to create a more “sustainable immigration system”.
Until now, our immigration system has been heavily subsidised by taxpayers. The changes we’re making are shifting the cost to those benefitting from the system. We’re ensuring it is self-funded and more efficient.
In addition to New Zealand, Australia has recently doubled student visa fees in a bid to manage migration. As of July 1, student visa fees in Australia rose from €710 to €1,600.
How Will the Fee Increase Impact Students?
The increase in visa fees is expected to have different impacts on international students, as per the recent IDF Pulse survey conducted in June 2024, prior to the above-mentioned announcements on the student visa fee increase.
The IDF study, as cited by ICEF Monitor, revealed that 50 percent of respondents considering studying in New Zealand said that student visa costs would have a small impact on their study plans.
On the other hand, 22 percent said that an increase would have a “medium” impact, while the remaining 28 percent of respondents said it would have a high impact.
New Zealand Received 124,000 Study Visa Applications Since August 2022
Official statistics indicate that 124,000 individuals have applied for a student visa in New Zealand since August 2022, the year authorities re-opened the country’s borders to foreign visitors.
As further reported, over 119,000 student visa applications have been processed to date, while 101,000 have been approved.
Fees to Increase for Almost All Visa Categories
The new change is expected to affect students and other migrant categories, as New Zealand will increase fees for nearly all visa categories.
Some of the categories that will be affected by the increase from October 1 include:
- Skilled Residence Visa: from NZD 4,290 to NZD 6,450
- Family Category: from NZD 2,750 to NZD 5,360
- Parent Retirement Category from NZD 5,260 to NZD 12,850
- Visitor Visa from NZD 211 to NZD 341
On the other hand, visa fees under the Samoan Quota Program will remain unchanged, while fees for the Pacific Access Category will experience a slight rise compared to other categories.