Starting June 23, New Zealand is placing India and eight other countries – France, Germany, Italy, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Sweden, and Switzerland – on its List of Qualifications Exempt from Assessment (LQEA). This will render certain qualifications from these countries exempt from an International Qualification Assessment (IQA) for visa and immigration categories.
We talked to Mamta Jani, founder, Ontrack Education, who shared how it will impact Indian students.
What’s the IQA?
It’s a benchmarking procedure administered by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) to assess whether foreign degrees are compatible with NZ’s education standards. Traditionally, nations exempted have been the Anglosphere countries (the UK, the US, and Australia).
India is the first-ever South Asian country to be included in the LQEA. This is a testament to significant policy confidence in India’s higher education reforms and the quality of universities.
How will it impact Indian students?
If you possess a recognised Indian degree (from an NZQA-listed institution), you no longer have to shell out $746 or wait 8-12 weeks for IQA processing. The IQA queue was the leading reason for delayed visas for Indian skilled workers in 2023-24, even more than English language deficiencies.
Advantages for Indian graduates
Once deemed ‘substandard’ by certain Western countries, Indian 3-year bachelor’s degrees (such as BSc and BCom) now fit directly under NZ’s list of exemptions, if from recognised universities. Employers are no longer required to bypass credential validation, making Indian graduates more desirable in industries such as IT, finance, engineering, and healthcare. A few NZ recruiters had ceased shortlisting candidates without IQA-certified qualifications, but this policy removes that obstruction.
Why did NZ take this step?
NZ’s immigration and education ministries are pursuing diversification of their pool of skilled migrants and increasing global student participation. As geopolitical changes influence Australia and Canada’s Indian student intake, NZ is positioning itself as a ‘fast-track destination’ for high-talent individuals. This is part of NZ’s 3-stage LQEA launch starting in 2023. The third phase (2026) aims to include more than 25 countries.
India’s addition to the LQEA marks a new dawn of trust in Indian education and potential. For students and professionals, it translates to cheaper prices, quicker processing, and less hindrance to education and migration in New Zealand.
For prospective Indian students, now is the time to revisit New Zealand as a premium study-abroad destination, particularly if you are seeking value, visa clarity, and career opportunities in the long run.