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.
Official figures
- 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
Official sources
- 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
Read the full guide: Immigration advice and visa policy: licensed advisers and how to check them →
People also ask
- How do I check that an immigration agent in New Zealand is legitimate?
- Does an immigration adviser need a licence? Can a lawyer help instead?
- Can my education agent help with a work visa or residence?
- What happens if I use an unlicensed adviser for my visa?
- How do I complain about my immigration adviser?
- Will reporting an unlicensed adviser affect my visa?
Answers are based on official New Zealand government pages. Check the official source before you act. This is not immigration, legal or tax advice.
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