Immigration lawyers in Christchurch
10 law firms practising immigration law have an office in the Christchurch area. Each firm here is verified from its own website as practising lawyers, who are exempt from immigration adviser licensing; they are regulated by the New Zealand Law Society instead of the IAA.
Christchurch immigration team: Mark Williams (admitted 1999) , Rachael Mason (admitted 1999) , Josh Templeton (admitted 2016) , Winnie Chen (admitted 2013) , Sarah Kirkwood (admitted 2023) , Sarah Caulton (admitted 2019)
Christchurch immigration team: Nicola Tiffen (admitted 2000) , Nicky Robertson (admitted 2007)
Christchurch immigration team: Vanessa Cha (admitted 2022) , Lethan Heugh (admitted 2022)
Christchurch immigration team: Jen Bensley (admitted 2010) , Cam Derby (admitted 2020)
Christchurch immigration team: Adele Mitchell (admitted 2005)
Christchurch immigration team: Markham George Lee (admitted 1985)
Christchurch immigration team: Jerome Williamson (admitted 1987)
Christchurch immigration team: Michelle Chen (admitted 2015)
- Pathvia Legal ServicesMulti-practice firm
Christchurch immigration team: Vienna Tse (admitted 2018)
- Copeland AshcroftMulti-practice firmwebsite
Other NZ immigration law firms serving Christchurch
- Pitt & Moore LawyersNelson
- AW LawAuckland
- D&S Law (Dalley Sundar)Auckland
- Laurent Law Barristers & SolicitorsAuckland
- ABMM Legal (Auld Brewer Mazengarb & McEwen)New Plymouth
- Fisher Foley Barristers and SolicitorsAuckland
- McSweeney Immigration LawAuckland
- McVeagh FlemingAuckland
Not sure whether you need a lawyer or an adviser?
Read the adviser vs lawyer guide or send one enquiry and we will connect you with a licensed professional.
Immigration representation in Christchurch, by the numbers
From the Immigration Advisers Authority register, the New Zealand Law Society register and published Immigration and Protection Tribunal decisions. Figures refresh monthly.
- Immigration lawyers based here
- 17
- Law firms with an office here
- 10
- Licensed advisers based here
- 126
- Median years since admission
- 13
The longest-admitted immigration lawyer listed in Christchurch was admitted to the bar in 1985.
Published appeal record of Christchurch counsel
83 published appeals name counsel based in Christchurch, across 7 of the 17 listed here, most recently 8 April 2026. “Allowed” is the appellant’s share of decided appeals; a percentage is shown only where at least 5 were decided.
| Appeal type | Appeals | Allowed | Dismissed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residence: skilled migrant | 31 | 22(71% of 31 decided) | 9 |
| Deportation: non-resident | 21 | 15(71% of 21 decided) | 6 |
| Residence: partnership | 13 | 9(69% of 13 decided) | 4 |
| Residence: parent | 5 | 4(80% of 5 decided) | 1 |
| Refugee & protection | 5 | 1(20% of 5 decided) | 4 |
| Residence: other | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Deportation: resident | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Residence: sibling & adult child | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Residence: business entrepreneur | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Counts come from decisions the tribunal has published and that name a representative we can identify with certainty. Appeals settled, withdrawn or resolved before a decision do not appear, so this is a record of published outcomes rather than of everything a practitioner has done. How matching works is set out in the methodology.
If you already know what has gone wrong
Guides to the situations people most often need representation for, with the deadlines that apply.
- Immigration appeal success rates in New Zealand
What can be appealed, to whom, by when — and how often appeals succeed.
- Facing deportation from New Zealand — liability, notices and appeals
Deportation liability, notices, humanitarian appeals and detention.
- Section 61 requests — getting a visa while unlawfully in New Zealand
When a visa has expired or was never granted, and what can still be done.
- Criminal convictions, character and your New Zealand visa
How convictions and character issues affect visas, and how waivers work.
- How people lose their New Zealand visas — real cases from the tribunal
PPI letters, responding to concerns, and your procedural rights.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need an immigration lawyer in Christchurch, or can a licensed adviser help?
- Both can represent you to Immigration New Zealand and at the Immigration and Protection Tribunal. You need a lawyer if your matter may go to court, or if it crosses into other areas of law such as employment or criminal matters affecting character. 17 immigration lawyers are based in Christchurch, alongside 126 licensed immigration advisers.
This list is not exhaustive. Unlike the adviser directory, which covers everyone on the IAA register, there is no register of lawyers doing immigration work. This list is researched from public sources, so a lawyer in Christchurch may be missing simply because their immigration practice is not identifiable from those sources. Absence here says nothing about a lawyer. Know one who should be listed? Tell us.
How firms are listed and ordered: methodology. See all immigration lawyers in New Zealand or compare licensed immigration advisers in Christchurch.