26 July 2023
Ziyun (Evan) Wang
[FYI request #23144 email]
DOIA 2223-2923
Tēnā koe Ziyun
Thank you for your email of 15 June 2023 to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE)
requesting, under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act), the following information:
1. After the border reopens, total number of student visa applications INZ has received, approved and
declined until 31 May 2023, compared with same period pre covid19 ? Can we please break down these
stats into sectors – total/ University / School / PTE / Te Pukenga / Other?
2. After the border reopens, total number of Indian student visa applications INZ has received, approved and
declined until 31 May 2023, compared with same period pre covid19? Can we please break down these stats
into sectors – total/ University / School / PTE / Te Pukenga / Other?
3. Reasons for visa declines in India market for each aforementioned sectors.
On 19 June 2023, we asked you to clarify which pre-covid period you required, to which you responded
2019/2020.
Our Response
Questions 1, 2
Please refer to the table provided in the Appendix for the number of student visa applications Immigration
New Zealand (INZ) has received, approved and declined. Please note that the figures provided do not
include student visas for dependent children or granted under section 61.
We are refusing the breakdown of the ‘institutions not recorded’ under section 18(f) of the Act as providing
the information would require substantial collation and research. To provide this information would
require Immigration New Zealand to manually review each application to determine their institute.
Question 3
Regarding the reasons Indian nationals have been declined, MBIE is refusing your request under section
18(f) of the Act as providing the information would require substantial collation and research. A visa
application will be declined if an immigration officer is not satisfied that an applicant has met all the
requirements of the immigration instructions applicable to the visa category they apply under. MBIE does
not hold a breakdown of the reasons individual applications failed to meet instructions in a reportable
format. Due to this, each declined application would need to be manually checked to determine the reason
it was declined.
Reviewing each individual application would remove MBIE staff from their core duties and therefore the
greater public interest would not be served.
1
Throughout this response, in accordance with s18A of the Act, I have considered whether fixing a charge
under s15 or extending the time limit under s15(a) would enable the request to be granted but it is my
view it would not.
In accordance with s18B of the Act, I have considered whether consulting with you would remove the
reason for refusal, however, in my view it would not as to obtain the specific information as to why an
application was declined would inevitably involve the manual search of applications.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision. Information about
how to make a complaint is available at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.
If you wish to discuss any aspect of your request or this response, please contact [email address]
Nāku noa, nā
Michael Carley
(Acting) Principal Advisor, Visa Operations
Immigration New Zealand
Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment
2
Appendix
Number of Student Visa applications received, approved and declined for the periods 1 August and 31 May 2020,
1 August 2022 and 31 May 2023, broken down by nationality, institution and year, as at 10 July 2023.
Please note ‘Other Nationals’ are all other nationalities excluding India.
Institution not
Private Training
Polytechnics
Schools
Universities
recorded
Establishments
Decision
Nationality
type
2019/20
2022/23
2019/20
2022/23
2019/20
2022/23
2019/20
2022/23
2019/20
2022/23
Approved
Indian
93
1
3,104
1,960
3,300
1,146
70
58
2,049
1,912
Nationals
Other
200
95
4,064
2,722
9,399
6,571
10,501
7,202
16,495
21,255
National
Declined
Indian
30
11
1,160
932
871
1,006
17
20
130
240
Nationals
Other
85
31
526
732
1,143
1,298
168
136
387
826
National
Total
Indian
157
26
5,495
3,978
5,095
3,335
105
107
2,351
2,470
submissions
Nationals
(received)
All
447
168
8,970
6,578
14,938
10,346
10,819
7,461
19,228
24,610
Nationals
3
