Following numerous fraudulent applications, more Indian student visas have been declined than approved in past 10 months by New Zealand’s immigration authorities, NZ Herald has reported.
The figures are astounding. Out of 20,887 applications received from India, 10,863 applications, a whopping 50% were declined.
Among the declined applications, it was found that 9190 applications were lodged by unlicensed advisers, student agents and lawyers.
Munish Sekhri, vice-president of Licensed Immigration Advisers NZ, an India-based group representing licensed agents, told NZ Herald that fraud in India was widespread.
"I would say one in three applicants from Punjab would have used some form of deception and up to 80 per cent for those from Hyderabad," Mr Sekhri told the newspaper. "The unlicensed agents they use do anything from arranging fake documents, providing fraudulent funding and even an imposter service."
He further said that for $1000, agents would set up fake emails and phone numbers to impersonate clients to take verification calls from Immigration.
The report pointed out an advertisement in an Indian newspaper from a company called Imperial Education reads: "Study in New Zealand ... even if you don't have funds to show, we can help you get visa."
"It is true that many, many PTEs [private training establishments] and some ITPs [institutes of technology and polytechnics] have actively promoted this fraud," said Mr Sekhri. "These providers prefer working with unlicensed agents in India, who drive large numbers of students to NZ, who have no accountability to anyone."
The newspaper report states that over the past two years, New Zealand Immigration's Mumbai office discovered 265 education agents who submitted applications with fraudulent information.
It also found 338 applicants had used imposters, 340 with fraudulent funds and 39 with forged documents.
Since 2010, 1248 Indian nationals were either deported or left voluntarily, 74 of them in the year to April.
