Visa processing times for international students
Find out how long it has taken us to process some student visa applications for international students. Results vary depending on the type of education provider.
Processing times by education provider
These processing times show the combined time for the most common student visas used by international students. They are:
- Fee Paying Student Visa — including English language students
- Pathway Student Visa
- MFAT-funded NZ Scholarship Student Visa, and
- Exchange Student Visa.
The processing time is broken down by the type of education provider:
- universities
- Te Pūkenga
- Private Training Establishments (PTE), and
- schools.
How to understand this information
Our processing times are based on applications we have decided (approved or declined).
The processing times in this page are based on applications decided in August 2023. We are reporting on applications received since each visa reopened.
‘Weekdays’ means Monday to Friday. We use the median value to determine the average.
We also provide processing times for other visas.
How long it takes to process a visa application
|
Education provider |
Average processing time |
90% completed within |
|---|---|---|
|
Te Pūkenga |
33 weekdays |
52 weekdays |
|
PTEs |
25 weekdays |
49 weekdays |
|
Universities |
19 weekdays |
39 weekdays |
|
Schools |
16.5 weekdays |
33 weekdays |
Processing times can vary
We are committed to delivering the fastest possible service for visa applicants. We consider every application separately to make sure it aligns with New Zealand's immigration policy and regulations.
How long it takes us to process an application depends on how complex it is. The processing times for student visas show a variation based on the type of education provider, but this is not the only factor that affects how long it takes to process an application.