Immigration New Zealand says fraudulent visa applications are on the rise in India, south-east Asia and Eastern Europe.
It says it saw an 88 percent rise in fraud last year and that was likely the tip of the iceberg, as those were only the confirmed cases.
Its assistant general manager, Jeannie Melville, says immigration staff are working with education providers to encourage higher quality students.
She told RNZ immigration reporter Gill Bonnett that increases in fraud and more people wanting to come to New Zealand mean applicants classed as high-risk are having to wait longer for decisions on their visas.
