How to become a licensed immigration adviser in New Zealand

The pathway at a glance

• Complete the approved qualification: the Graduate Diploma in New Zealand Immigration Advice (Level 7) at Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology — the only approved provider — delivered online, one academic year full-time or longer part-time
• Or take the shortcut into work: after passing Courses 1-4 of the diploma (the approved entry course) you can apply for a provisional licence and finish the diploma while working
• Apply to the IAA: competency standards, the fit and proper person test, police certificates, and a supervision agreement with a fully licensed adviser
• Work under direct supervision on a provisional licence for two years
• Upgrade to a full licence, then renew annually with 20 hours of continuing professional development each licensing period

The qualification

The Graduate Diploma in New Zealand Immigration Advice is the only qualification the IAA currently approves for new advisers. It is taught online by Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology, takes one academic year full-time (part-time study is available), and is built around the Immigration Adviser Competency Standards and the Licensed Immigration Advisers Code of Conduct — the two documents that govern how advisers must practise.

Because Courses 1-4 count as an approved entry course, many students apply for a provisional licence at the halfway mark and complete the remaining courses while gaining supervised experience. You will need a supervision agreement with a fully licensed adviser before the provisional licence is granted, so building a relationship with a prospective employer or supervisor early matters.

Applying to the IAA

The application is made online through the IAA portal. The Registrar assesses whether you meet the competency standards and are fit to be licensed: you must provide certified identity documents and police certificates for every country you have lived in for 12 months or more during the last 10 years. Dishonesty offences, immigration offences and similar history weigh against the fit and proper finding.

Fees (including GST) for applicants ordinarily resident in New Zealand are $909.78 for the application plus a $1,129.55 immigration levy — $2,039.33 in total, paid on approval. Applicants not ordinarily resident in New Zealand pay $1,773.33 in total. Tuition for the diploma is separate and set by the provider.

Provisional licence and supervision

A first licence is provisional: you must work under the direct supervision of a fully licensed adviser for two years before upgrading to a full licence. The supervisor takes professional responsibility for your files under an IAA-approved supervision agreement, so provisional advisers almost always work inside an established practice rather than alone. Every adviser's licence type is public — this directory marks provisional licences on adviser profiles, and the statistics page shows the register-wide mix.

Once fully licensed, renewal is annual, and each licensing period requires 20 hours of continuing professional development.

Exemptions and alternative routes

New Zealand lawyers with a current practising certificate are exempt from licensing entirely under the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007 and may give immigration advice without an IAA licence — the deeper comparison is in the adviser vs lawyer guide, and qualifying as a lawyer is a different pathway altogether. Registered Australian migration agents have their own route to a New Zealand licence without completing the diploma, reflecting the trans-Tasman relationship.

Anyone else giving New Zealand immigration advice in the course of business without a licence or exemption commits an offence. If you are weighing the career, the directory shows who is practising today and where: 1,700 licensed advisers, searchable by city and experience.