Tuesday, August 20, 2024 New Zealand has announced a significant hike in visa fees, set to take effect from October 2024. This increase will impact a range of visa categories, including student, work, and visitor visas. The most substantial increase is for student visas – from NZD 375 (USD 225) to NZD 750 (USD 451) – aiming to offset rising processing costs.
Even so, New Zealand’s visa fee hike makes it competitive compared to Australia and the UK, withholding its position as a sought-after vacation, work, and education hotspot. Over the next four years, these cost adjustments will lessen public funding requirements by more than NZD 563 million (USD 338), shifting the burden from taxpayers to visa applicants. A surge in New Zealand’s visa fees and how it’ll impact travellers A trip to New Zealand is set to become costlier in the coming days.
While the student visa fee has been hiked, the post-study work visa fee has increased to more than double, shooting from NZD 699.34 (USD 420) to NZD 1,670 (USD 1,005). Additionally, those visiting New Zealand for recreational purposes will have to pay more for the visitor visa, with an increase in fee from NZD 211 (USD 126) to NZD 341 (USD 205).
Under the new mandate, the application cost for a Skilled Resident Visa will increase from NZD 4,290 (USD 2,581) to NZD 6,450 (USD 3881). Other impacted categories include the Family Category Visa fee from NZD 2,750 (USD 1,654) to NZD 5,360 (USD 3,225), and the Parent Retirement Category seeing an increase from NZD 5,260 (USD 3,165) to NZD 12,850 (USD 7,733). Compared to 2023, New Zealand has witnessed a stark increase in international student applicants, with numbers increasing by a whopping 69,000 compared to the previous year.
The highest fraction of the student population is credited to China, accounting for 35 percent of the total enrollments. The next big chunk is attributed to India, which contributes 17 percent of the international student pool, followed by Japan, South Korea, and Thailand, clocking in 10, 5, and 4 percent, respectively. In recent times, Australia, too, doubled its student visa fee, which now sits at AUD 1,600 (USD 1,062).
New Zealand’s student visa fee hike is still significantly lower; just about 40 per cent of Australia’s..
