New Zealand has one of the most sought-after visas in the world but isn’t quite as popular as Australia, according to a recent study of online searches for visas.

A global study analysed search volumes for 193 countries to see what visas were most commonly searched for over the last 12 months.

According to the result, produced by financial services provider Remitly, New Zealand ranked eighth; 613,200 searches for New Zealand visas, for work, study or leisure, were made during this time.

France was at the top of the list, with nearly 2.5 million searches over a year, which may be unsurprising considering it is one of the most popular tourist destinations, welcoming almost 80 million people in 2022.

According to the study, Australia appears to be a more appealing place to holiday, work or study, coming in fourth overall. This is possibly due to the “range of work visas designed to attract and retain highly skilled workers”, Remitly stated.

Of course, it’s one thing to search for a visa online, it’s another thing entirely to actually apply or be approved for one. The study also does not take into account countries that have automatic visa waiver schemes, and if they do, how any countries are included. For example, many Kiwis would not need to research Australia holiday visas, as they do not need a visa to visit but this doesn’t mean many New Zealanders aren’t travelling over.

However, the study does indicate what visas are on many millions of people’s minds.

Those interested in New Zealand visas may want to plan far in advance, following criticisms of significant delays. Visa processing currently takes up to 30 days and in some instances, 60 working days or more, which people have claimed is prompting people to go to Australia instead.

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