The New Zealand Government has decided to raise student visa fees by 90% for Nigerians and people from countries outside the Pacific region.
This new fee will start from October 1, 2024. 
You can find more details on the New Zealand immigration website.
Details on the new visa fees
Right now, student visa fees are NZD395 ($238). Starting October 1, they will go up to NZD750 ($452).
New Zealand has three categories for visa applications: Band A for New Zealand residents, Band B for people from Pacific Nations, and Band C for everyone else, like Nigerians.
Student visa: The current fees are NZD375 for Band A, NZD315 for Band B, and NZD395 for Band C.
Post-study work visa fees for Band C (like Nigerians) are also going up. Now it costs NZD700 ($422) but will increase by 139% to NZD1670 ($1006).
Other work visas are changing too. Band A fees go from NZD860 to NZD1630 (a 90% increase). Band B fees rise from NZD650 to NZD1630.
The entrepreneur work visa used to cost NZD3920, but now it costs more.
For skilled residence visas, Band C fees are going up from NZD2480 ($1494) to NZD2880 ($1735), a 16% increase.
What you need to know
Almost all visa fees are increasing to cover the real cost of processing applications.
Despite the fee hikes, New Zealand will keep visa fees lower for applicants from Pacific countries to help its neighbors.
Immigration Minister Erica Stanford said New Zealand’s fees will still be competitive compared to Australia and the UK.
Some key changes: The fee for Band C student visas will rise from NZD300 to NZD485. Post-study work visa fees will go down from NZD490 to NZD320, but the immigration levy for these visas will rise from NZD210 to NZD1350. The student visa levy will increase from NZD95 to NZD265.
The Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) will see its fee drop from NZD540 to NZD480, but its immigration levy will increase from NZD210 to NZD1060. This visa lets employers hire skilled migrants when there are job shortages, prioritizing New Zealanders first.
The government is also making changes to the AEWV scheme, like requiring English language skills for some jobs. Employers need to talk to Work and Income, New Zealand’s welfare agency, before hiring migrants for low-skilled roles, and some roles now have a 3-year maximum stay, down from 5 years.
These changes show the government’s effort to better manage visa processing costs and control migrant worker employment.