NZ visa rejection rates hit post-Covid low — where do Indian applications stand?

Visa rejection rates in New Zealand have fallen to their lowest level since the Covid-19 pandemic, with Immigration New Zealand data indicating a steady easing in application refusals as travel patterns normalise, Kate Rickard from NewtalksZB has reported.

Visitor visa applications formed the bulk of refusals across all three countries, significantly exceeding rejections in student, work, and residence categories.

Commenting on the trend, Immigration New Zealand Acting Deputy Chief Operating Officer Jock Gilray said the figures reflected a period of normalisation following the pandemic-era disruption rather than a structural shift in policy.

“Things have been settling since 2023, after borders reopened mid-2022″ he said.

“We’re seeing steadier numbers and more consistent outcomes.”

According to NewtalksZB, the official figures from Immigration New Zealand showed , 1,030,080 visa applications were processed in 2025, of which 65,180 were declined.

This translates to a rejection rate of about 6.3 per cent.

NewtalksZB reported that by comparison, 83,170 applications were refused in 2024 out of 1,141,970 received, while 80,210 were declined in 2023 from a total of 1,092,577 applications.

Both 2023 and 2024 recorded rejection rates of roughly 7.3 per cent.

The latest data suggests that more than nine in 10 visa applications were approved in 2025, reflecting a gradual easing in refusals across key visa categories. 

India, China and Pakistan continued to account for a significant proportion of total rejections, although their combined share has shifted over the past three years, according to NewtalksZB report.

Indian applicants made up the largest share of refusals in 2025, with over 18,000 applications declined.

However, this marks a sharp fall from just over 38,000 rejections recorded in 2023.

India accounted for approximately 28.5 per cent of all declined applications last year NewtalksZB has  reported.

China saw just over 8,000 visa refusals in 2025, down from a peak of more than 13,000 in 2024.

Meanwhile, Pakistan recorded an upward trend, with close to 5,000 applications declined last year. Its share of total rejections has grown from 4.5 per cent in 2023 to around 7.5 per cent in 2025, NewtalksZB has reported.

Overall, the three countries together accounted for about two-thirds of all visa refusals in 2023, but their combined share dropped to under half by 2025.

Gilray told NewtalksZB that changes in application patterns and policy adjustments had also influenced overall trends. Visa waiver arrangements introduced last year for travellers from China and Pacific nations transiting via Australia meant fewer visitor visa applications were entering the system.

He also pointed to improvements in application quality as a contributing factor to smoother processing.

“Incomplete applications have always been a challenge, but we’re now seeing more complete applications submitted with the right evidence, which can be processed much more quickly,” Gilray told NewtalksZB.