Education Agent Performance Data: A Useful Tool for Students and Parents

If you’re a student planning to study in New Zealand or a parent assisting, you likely created a shortlist of education agents after researching institutions. If you’re unsure which agent to go with from your shortlist, there’s an official tool that can help make things clearer. Immigration New Zealand provides something called education agent performance data, which shows how each listed agent has performed in actual student visa applications.

What Education Agent Performance Data Shows

Immigration New Zealand releases a set of records known as education agent performance data. This report outlines the visa approval rate for each agent who has been formally listed on student visa applications submitted from outside the country. It also includes a general indication of how many applications each agent has handled, presented as volume ranges rather than exact figures.

The report is limited to agents with a certain level of activity. Those involved in only a small number of applications are excluded, and any cases that were withdrawn or did not result in a final decision are not counted. The aim is to provide a practical overview of how agents have performed in actual visa outcomes, offering a way to assess consistency and experience based on government-verified data

Where and When the Data is Shared

You can find the education agent performance data on the official Immigration New Zealand website under "Data and processing times for international student visas." The most recent files include a report for 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2024 and another for 1 August 2022 to 31 December 2023. Each version is available as a downloadable Excel spreadsheet, organised by student origin market. You do not need to register or pay to access it.

How to Use the Data to Finalise Your Agent List

When you compare agents, look at both the visa success percentage and the number of applications processed. For example, an agent with a 95% approval rate could have helped only a handful of students, while another with 82% might have handled hundreds. Checking the market-specific figures ensures you are comparing performance relevant to your home country.

The data shows only visa outcomes, so it doesn’t tell you how responsive an agent was. But it is a reliable indicator of an agent’s consistency in handling visa paperwork.

Visa Rates Don’t Tell the Full Story

Some students shared that smaller agents gave them more attention and clearer guidance. Others appreciated larger agencies because they seemed to have stronger ties with institutions and could move applications faster.

Finding the right agent depends on more than data. Use the education agent performance data as one part of your selection process, alongside interviews, questions, and your own feel for how well an agent matches your needs.

Before you make your final decision 

Use this official source from Immigration New Zealand to check each agent’s track record. It's a solid reference for visa approval trends, yet still just one aspect of quality.

Balancing an agent’s numbers with how they communicate, explain course options, and support you personally gives you the best chance to find someone who will handle more than the paperwork.

This tool focuses solely on numbers, but other aspects matter too. For example, if you want to understand more about the student visa waiting time, Students Herald has a useful piece explaining why timing can affect travel and course planning, check out Why Delaying Your New Zealand Application Could Backfire for practical advice on planning around processing periods

You might also be curious about how international students contribute in specific fields like technology. Read Indian Students Shape the Rise of Tech Education in New Zealand to see how strong student inflow and related programs influence agents and institutions alike.