Philippine Student Visa Approvals to New Zealand Surge 31 Percent, Outpacing Most of Southeast Asia
Right Education NZ says family friendly visa settings and lower costs than other English speaking study destinations are fuelling the rise AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND, 10 August 2026. Philippine student visa approvals to New Zealand rose 31.5 percent in the past financial year, official immigration data shows, outpacing nearly every other major Southeast Asian market. Immigration New Zealand approved 6,214 Philippine student visa applications in the 2025/26 financial year, up from 4,726 the year before. The figures come directly from Immigration New Zealand's own published statistics. Only two other Southeast Asian markets grew faster in percentage terms, Laos at 34.3 percent and Malaysia at 32.5 percent, but neither comes close in raw numbers. The Philippines sent more than double the students of Vietnam, the next largest Southeast Asian source country, and nearly five times as many as Indonesia. Among the region's biggest markets, the Philippines is now growing fast...