Immigration advice and visa policy: licensed advisers and how to check them

Immigration Advisers Authority, Immigration New ZealandVerified 16 Oct 2026Official pages checked daily

In New Zealand, anyone who gives you immigration advice about your situation, or helps with your visa, must hold a licence from the Immigration Advisers Authority (IAA), unless they are exempt, for example a New Zealand lawyer with a current practising certificate. Check the IAA's public register before you use an adviser. Immigration New Zealand returns applications lodged by people who are not on the register and not exempt. NewBee explains public information only and does not give immigration advice.

Key facts

Law that regulates immigration advice: Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007³
Who needs a licence: Anyone giving advice about New Zealand immigration matters must be licensed or exempt³
Who does not need a licence: New Zealand lawyers with a current practising certificate (and their employees, as part of their work); some Citizens Advice Bureaux and Community Law Centres; foreign diplomats and consular staff; current MPs and their staff; advisers outside New Zealand who help with student visas only (not work or residence pathways); advice to family or friends that is not given regularly or for a fee¹
Employers, recruiters, education providers and travel agents: They are not exempt. Without a licence, they can share public information but cannot interpret the rules for your situation or give you immigration advice⁴
Applications lodged by unlicensed advisers: Immigration New Zealand returns applications lodged by people who are not on the register and not exempt³
Penalty for unlicensed immigration advice: Fines of up to NZ$100,000 and/or up to 7 years in prison³
How long a licence lasts: 1 year²
How to check a licence: Search the adviser's name in the IAA's online register of licensed immigration advisers. You can also ask to see their digital licence certificate and scan its QR code to check it is genuine²
Written agreement and fees: Before any work starts, the adviser must give you a written agreement to sign that sets out the services and fees. Fees must be fair and reasonable, and invoices must describe what each fee is for²
Complaining about a licensed adviser: It is free and does not affect your immigration status. By law, you cannot complain anonymously. If the adviser is no longer licensed, you must complain within 2 years of their licence ending⁶
Reporting an unlicensed adviser: Email iaa.investigations@mbie.govt.nz. It is free, you can stay anonymous, and it does not affect your immigration status. Investigations usually take from 3 months to more than a year⁵
What is not immigration advice: Giving publicly available information (such as the Immigration New Zealand website and Operational Manual), translation or interpreting, and clerical work⁴

Who is this for, and what are the requirements?

People planning to apply for a New Zealand visa who are thinking about using an agent or immigration adviser.
People already using an immigration adviser who want to check the adviser is licensed, or want to make a complaint.
Anyone offered a 'guaranteed visa' service who wants to know whether the person offering it is allowed to give advice.

How do I do it? Steps and process

Start with the official information
Visa requirements are set out on the Immigration New Zealand website, and that is the source to trust. Public information is not immigration advice, so anyone can show it to you or translate it for you.
For advice about your situation, use a licensed adviser or a lawyer
If you want someone to assess your situation, advise you or lodge your visa, use a licensed immigration adviser or a New Zealand lawyer with a current practising certificate. Employers, recruiters, education providers and travel agents without a licence can only share public information. Education agents outside New Zealand can help with student visas only, not plans for work or residence visas.
Check the licence
Search the adviser's name in the IAA's online register to see whether they are licensed and what type of licence they hold. You can also ask to see their digital licence certificate and scan the QR code. Licences last 1 year; a licence that is not current may have expired or been surrendered, refused, suspended or cancelled.
Sign a written agreement before work starts
A licensed adviser must give you a written agreement to sign before starting work, setting out the services and fees. They must declare any conflicts of interest, including any commission they will receive, and their invoices must describe what each fee is for.
Raise problems with your adviser first
If you are unhappy, explain the problem clearly to your adviser and suggest how they could fix it. Your adviser must follow their internal complaints procedure. If that does not solve it, or it is not appropriate to deal with the adviser directly, complain to the IAA.
Complain or report
To complain about a licensed adviser, fill in the IAA complaint form; it is free, and you need to give detailed information, evidence and your contact details. After investigating, the IAA either closes the complaint and explains why, or refers it to the Immigration Advisers Complaints and Disciplinary Tribunal. If a complaint is upheld, sanctions can include censure, fines, compensation, further training or a change to the adviser's licence. To report an unlicensed adviser, email iaa.investigations@mbie.govt.nz; you can stay anonymous.

What should I watch out for?

Reporting an unlicensed adviser does not affect your visa or immigration status.
Falsely claiming to be a licensed adviser, or employing or contracting someone who is neither licensed nor exempt to give immigration advice, is also an offence: fines of up to NZ$10,000 and/or up to 2 years in prison.
Licensed advisers must follow the Licensed Immigration Advisers Code of Conduct and declare conflicts of interest, including any commission.
A friend or relative can help you once in a while without a licence, as long as it is not done regularly or for a fee.
NewBee explains public information only and does not give immigration advice. For your own visa questions, contact Immigration New Zealand, a licensed immigration adviser or a lawyer.

Common questions

How do I check that an immigration agent in New Zealand is legitimate?

Search their name in the Immigration Advisers Authority's online register to see whether they are licensed and what licence they hold. You can also ask to see their digital licence certificate and scan its QR code. Licences last 1 year, so check the register shows a current licence. A New Zealand lawyer with a current practising certificate can also give immigration advice.

Does an immigration adviser need a licence? Can a lawyer help instead?

Yes. Under the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007, anyone giving advice about New Zealand immigration must be licensed or exempt. New Zealand lawyers with a current practising certificate, and their employees as part of their work, are exempt and can give immigration advice.

Can my education agent help with a work visa or residence?

An education agent outside New Zealand can help with student visas only, not with plans for work or residence visas. For advice on work or residence visas, use a licensed immigration adviser or a New Zealand lawyer with a current practising certificate.

Can my employer or a recruiter give me visa advice?

Not unless they hold a licence. Employers, recruiters, education providers and travel agents are not exempt. Without a licence, they can only share public information and cannot interpret the rules for your situation or give you immigration advice.

What happens if I use an unlicensed adviser for my visa?

Immigration New Zealand returns applications lodged by people who are not on the register and not exempt. Giving unlicensed immigration advice is an offence, with fines of up to NZ$100,000 and/or up to 7 years in prison. You can report it to the IAA, and this does not affect your immigration status.

How do I complain about my immigration adviser?

First explain the problem to your adviser and suggest how they could fix it; they must follow their internal complaints procedure. If that does not work, use the IAA complaint form. It is free and does not affect your immigration status, but you cannot complain anonymously. The IAA either closes the complaint with reasons or refers it to the Immigration Advisers Complaints and Disciplinary Tribunal.

Will reporting an unlicensed adviser affect my visa?

No. Reporting an unlicensed adviser does not affect your immigration status, it is free, and you can stay anonymous. Email iaa.investigations@mbie.govt.nz. Investigations usually take from 3 months to more than a year.

Where can I find reliable information about visa rules?

Use the Immigration New Zealand website. Public information is not immigration advice, so anyone can show it to you or translate it. For advice about your own situation, use a licensed immigration adviser or a lawyer.

Answers are based on the verified content of this page — the official source always prevails.

Where can I check the official information?

Who can give advice?Immigration Advisers Authority · iaa.govt.nz
Working with a licensed immigration adviserImmigration Advisers Authority · iaa.govt.nz
How immigration advice is regulatedImmigration New Zealand · immigration.govt.nz
Who needs a licence?Immigration Advisers Authority · iaa.govt.nz
Unlicensed adviser complaintsImmigration Advisers Authority · iaa.govt.nz
Licensed adviser complaintsImmigration Advisers Authority · iaa.govt.nz

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