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NZ Visas for Indian Citizens: What INZ Publishes and Its Scam Warnings

Immigration New Zealand publishes counts of residence and work visa applications by nationality, and it warns that job offer scams are common in India and South Asia. The visa rules, fees and processing times it publishes for the main skilled routes are the same for every passport. This page reports INZ's figures and warnings and does not say which visa suits anyone.

Searches such as "NZ visa for Indians" and "New Zealand residency for Indians" are common, and the results are often a mix of agents, forums and promises. This page is deliberately narrower. It reports what Immigration New Zealand (INZ) itself publishes that mentions India or Indian citizens, explains which rules are the same for every passport, and sets out INZ's own warnings.

Two limits apply. First, the numbers below are counts of applications and applicants. They are not success rates, and nothing here says how likely any person is to be granted a visa. INZ decides each application on its own facts. Second, this page does not say which visa a reader could apply for. That is immigration advice, and in New Zealand only a licensed immigration adviser or a lawyer may give it. On the main skilled routes the criteria published on the INZ pages read for this guide do not turn on nationality.

All figures were read from INZ on 10 October 2026.

Residence applications: what INZ's statistics report shows

INZ publishes a report titled "Resident Visa applications accepted for processing, by nationality and financial year of decision". The version read here was prepared on 8 October 2026. INZ's definitions page in the same report explains two counts:

  • "Applications" are the applications accepted for processing.
  • "Applicants" are "Those individuals included in an application." INZ adds that many applications have more than one applicant. The report's tables for this count are labelled "People".

For India the report shows these counts, by financial year (1 July to 30 June):

  • People: 8,697 in 2016/17; 6,948 in 2017/18; 9,647 in 2018/19; 10,531 in 2019/20; 4,795 in 2020/21; 58,182 in 2021/22; 9,241 in 2022/23; 14,583 in 2023/24; 11,584 in 2024/25; 9,680 in 2025/26; and 3,579 in 2026/27 so far, with INZ's period running to 30 September 2026. The total is 147,467.
  • Applications: 5,924; 4,700; 5,985; 5,996; 3,255; 35,181; 5,335; 8,206; 7,357; 5,913; and 2,107, for a total of 89,959.

Two things are easy to miss. The 2021/22 figure is far larger than the years either side of it, and the same report lists the 2021 Resident Visa among its application criteria; the report itself is where any breakdown by criterion is found. And a headline that says "9,680" and one that says "5,913" can both describe the same year, because one counts people and the other counts applications.

Across the whole period covered (decisions dated 31 July 2016 to 30 September 2026), INZ's table by criteria gives these application counts for India: Business and Skilled stream 63,360; International and Humanitarian 797; Parent, Sibling and Adult Child stream 1,569; Uncapped Family Sponsored stream 24,233; total 89,959. For people the same table shows 118,275; 1,090; 2,347; and 25,755, total 147,467.

None of this is an approval count. The report says these are applications accepted for processing, and a count of applications does not describe outcomes.

Work visa applications: the AEWV data report

INZ also publishes an Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) data report covering 1 July 2022 to 3 October 2026. INZ states: "These statistics are at a point in time. They are likely to change between reporting updates." Across all nationalities the report shows 232,307 applications submitted.

Its table by nationality shows these figures for India:

  • 59,675 applications submitted, of which 33,585 were submitted from offshore;
  • 52,443 approved, of which 28,519 were offshore;
  • 58,728 decided, of which 33,222 were offshore; and
  • 33,356 recorded as arrived, of which 26,223 were offshore.

INZ's workbook is the place to read what each column counts. This guide does not turn the columns into a rate because INZ does not present them as one, and because applications submitted in a period are not the same set as applications decided in it.

These numbers say that the AEWV is widely used. They do not say anything about what a particular job offer, employer or applicant will result in.

INZ's job offer scam warning

The AEWV page carries a boxed alert that names India directly: "Job offer scams are common in India and South Asia. Make sure your job offer is genuine." On the same page INZ says: "We will decline an application for an AEWV if we consider you or your agent has offered or promised money to the employer (or their agent) in exchange for a job offer." It also states the rule on costs: "New Zealand employers or agents cannot charge you fees for a job or make you pay any of their recruitment costs."

INZ's separate scams page sets out signs of a scam. In INZ's wording:

  • You are asked to pay fees for your job, sometimes called "processing" or "placement" fees, including indirectly through a third party who then demands you pay them.
  • Your adviser, agent, consultant or another third party says they can use their connections to guarantee an outcome or a faster decision. INZ says it "will not prioritise your application because you use an adviser".
  • You are asked to lie. INZ states: "It is illegal to lie in order to qualify for a job or a visa."
  • You are told you do not have the same minimum employment rights as a New Zealander. INZ calls this untrue.
  • You are offered a package deal with accommodation. INZ says it is not common to have accommodation provided with a job in New Zealand.
  • You are promised residence. INZ says: "there are no guarantees this will lead to residence."
  • You are told you must use an adviser. INZ states: "You are not required to use an adviser to apply for a visa."
  • You are asked to pay a visa fee or medical fees to a bank account. INZ says: "We will never ask you to pay for visa application fees by depositing money into a bank account."

INZ also says a fake website can be spotted because the address must include ".immigration.govt.nz" exactly, and that scammers sometimes provide fake visas, which can be checked with INZ's Visa Verification Service. The guides to job offer scams and to unlicensed immigration advice cover these points further.

Rules that are the same for every passport

Most skilled-route rules do not turn on nationality. INZ's fee finder returned the same figures when queried with Indian, Philippine and South African passports on 10 October 2026:

  • Straight to Residence Visa: from NZD 6,450, with 80% of applications completed within 3 months.
  • Accredited Employer Work Visa: from NZD 1,540, with 80% completed within 5 weeks.

Fees for paper applications and for some other products can vary by passport and by where the applicant lives, so use INZ's fee finder with the right passport and country of residence on the day.

Other rules apply to everyone:

  • Police certificates. INZ says an applicant for a work visa must provide them if the total time in New Zealand will be 24 months or longer, from any country of which they are a citizen and any country lived in for more than 5 years since turning 17. For a resident visa, certificates are needed from any country of citizenship and any other country where 12 months or more were spent in the last 10 years. INZ's police certificate tool explains how to get one for a particular country.
  • English. For skilled residence visas INZ allows English to be shown through citizenship (a listed set of countries, plus at least 5 years working or studying in those countries or Australia or New Zealand), a qualification gained in a listed country, or an approved test taken in person at a test centre. For a principal applicant the minimums include IELTS 6.5 overall.
  • Qualifications. INZ may require an International Qualification Assessment from NZQA for qualifications gained outside New Zealand.
  • Health and character. Chest X-rays and medicals come from approved doctors, and INZ says "We will never ask you to pay for medical checks."

Which of these apply to a given person depends on the visa and on their facts. A licensed immigration adviser can explain that. INZ's own help also exists: it says it can explain visa options and whether what a person has been told is accurate or realistic.

Licensed advisers and advisers based outside New Zealand

Applicants anywhere may deal with an adviser or agent based outside New Zealand. INZ says visa advice must come from a licensed immigration adviser, or a person who is exempt from being licensed. The Immigration Advisers Authority is clear about geography: "Any individual providing New Zealand immigration advice either in New Zealand or offshore must be licensed unless exempt under the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007 (the Act)."

So a person advising on New Zealand visas from an office in India, or anywhere else offshore, needs a New Zealand licence unless exempt. Licences are held by individuals, not by companies, so the check is of the individual named on the register. The guide to checking an adviser's licence shows how to search the register, and the guide to advisers based outside New Zealand explains what changes when the adviser is offshore.

INZ's scam list also covers recruitment agencies: INZ says any charges from a recruitment agency "should reflect the service they provide you." It adds that with an immigration adviser "you will need to pay a fair price for their services." The guide to adviser fees explains what the Code of Conduct says about written agreements and fees.

Finding a licensed immigration adviser

Migratio lists licensed immigration advisers so you can compare them and contact one directly. Every listing shows the adviser's licence number, which you can check on the Immigration Advisers Authority's public register before you book. We don't assess cases and don't tell anyone which visa or pathway fits them; that is the adviser's job.

Questions people ask

How many Indian citizens applied for New Zealand residence?

INZ's statistics report, prepared 8 October 2026, shows 9,680 people and 5,913 applications for India in the 2025/26 financial year, and 147,467 people and 89,959 applications across all the years it covers. These are counts of applications accepted for processing, not approvals.

Does INZ warn about job offer scams for people in India?

Yes. INZ's AEWV page says: "Job offer scams are common in India and South Asia. Make sure your job offer is genuine." INZ also says employers and agents cannot charge fees for a job.

Are NZ visa fees different for Indian passport holders?

INZ's fee finder returned the same fee for the Straight to Residence Visa (from NZD 6,450) and the AEWV (from NZD 1,540) for Indian, Philippine and South African passports. Some other fees vary by passport and country of residence, so check the finder.

Do I need a licensed adviser if I apply from India?

INZ says you are not required to use an adviser. If you do use one to give New Zealand immigration advice, the Immigration Advisers Authority says they must be licensed whether they are in New Zealand or offshore, unless exempt.

Can an adviser promise my application will be decided faster?

INZ lists this as a scam sign. It says it will not prioritise an application because an adviser is used, and decides applications by assessing the information against immigration rules.

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-10.

Related guides

  • Paying for an NZ Job Offer: What INZ Says — Immigration New Zealand says New Zealand employers or agents cannot charge a worker fees for a job or make them pay recruitment costs, and that it will decline an Accredited Employer Work Visa application if the applicant or their agent offered or promised money for a job offer. INZ calls job offer scams common in India and South Asia.
  • Unlicensed Immigration Advice in NZ: How to Spot It — Anyone who gives New Zealand immigration advice, in NZ or overseas, must be licensed by the IAA or exempt (for example, a lawyer with a current practising certificate). Unlicensed advice can lead INZ to return an application, and the adviser faces up to NZ$100,000 and/or 7 years' imprisonment, even without charging. Complaints go to the IAA and do not affect your immigration status.
  • NZ Immigration Advisers Based Outside New Zealand — Anyone giving New Zealand immigration advice from outside New Zealand needs an IAA licence unless they are exempt; 459 of the 1,681 licensed advisers were offshore at 30 June 2026. The one offshore-specific exemption covers student visa advice only.
  • How to Check an NZ Immigration Adviser's Licence — Search the adviser's name or licence number on the Immigration Advisers Authority (IAA) public register and confirm the status reads current. The record also shows whether the licence is full, provisional or limited. Lawyers are not on that register; check them on the New Zealand Law Society's register of lawyers.
  • What NZ Immigration Advisers Charge, and Why — There is no official price list. The Code of Conduct requires fees to be "fair and reasonable in the circumstances", set out in a written agreement (hourly rate with a time estimate, or a fixed fee, plus GST or overseas tax), and invoiced each time they fall due. INZ's own application fee is a separate cost.
  • Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV): The 2026 Rules — The Accredited Employer Work Visa is New Zealand's main employer-sponsored work visa. The job must be full-time (30+ hours), with an accredited employer holding an approved job check, and paid at least the required rate. INZ showed a fee of NZD 1,540 and 80% of applications within 5 weeks on 9 October 2026. The longest continuous stay is 5 years, or 3 years for skill level 4 or 5 jobs.