The pathway at a glance
- To first practice
- Around 5 years
- Separate immigration licence
- None
- Practising certificate
- Renewed yearly
- Law degreeQualified in law overseasAssessment by the New Zealand Council of Legal Education
- Professional Legal Studies Course
- Admission to the High Court
- Practising certificate
The qualification pathway
The steps are the same as for any New Zealand lawyer.
- Law degreeTypically four years
A Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from a New Zealand law school, or an overseas law qualification assessed by the New Zealand Council of Legal Education.
- Professional Legal Studies Course
The practical bridge between study and practice.
- Admission to the High Court
A certificate of character and admission to the roll of barristers and solicitors of the High Court of New Zealand.
- Practising certificateRenewed annually
A practising certificate from the New Zealand Law Society. This is what makes someone a practising New Zealand lawyer rather than merely a law graduate.
There is no formal immigration specialisation step: expertise comes from practice. Newly admitted New Zealand lawyers typically build it inside an immigration team, a general firm with immigration files, or at the refugee and protected-person end through legal aid work and the Immigration and Protection Tribunal.
Why New Zealand lawyers do not need an IAA licence
Anyone else giving New Zealand immigration advice in the course of business must be licensed by the Immigration Advisers Authority, but New Zealand lawyers holding a current practising certificate are exempt under the Act. Among the persons it exempts from the requirement to be licensed:
“(e) lawyers and employees of lawyers and of incorporated law firms”
| Immigration lawyer | Licensed immigration adviser | |
|---|---|---|
| Verified on | The New Zealand Law Society's Public Register of Lawyers | The IAA register |
| Needs an IAA licence | No, exempt under the Act | Yes |
| Where a matter crosses into the courts | Can act (judicial review of immigration decisions, criminal consequences affecting character, employment issues entangled with visas) | Cannot enter that territory alone |
An immigration lawyer never appears on the IAA register; verification happens on the New Zealand Law Society's Public Register of Lawyers instead, which is exactly how the immigration lawyers listed on this directory are verified. The trade-offs between the two professions from a client's perspective are covered in the immigration adviser vs immigration lawyer guide.
The immigration bar as it stands
Immigration law is a small, identifiable bar. This directory's individually verified list currently stands at 92 immigration lawyers across 78 firms, each verified against the Law Society register with admission dates, practice breadth and tribunal appeal records on their profiles where the published decisions record their appearances. Comparing established practitioners' appeal experience is a realistic way to understand what a developed immigration practice looks like.
Check your understanding
These questions check what this guide says. They say nothing about your own case.
For educational and illustrative purposes only. This is not immigration advice, and no warranty is given as to its appropriateness or accuracy. If in doubt, talk to an immigration adviser or an immigration lawyer about your specific circumstances.
Frequently asked questions
Related guides
- How to become a licensed immigration adviser in New ZealandThe pathway to an IAA licence: the Graduate Diploma in New Zealand Immigration Advice, the provisional licence and two years of supervision, fees, the fit and proper person test, and the exemptions.
- The Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007, what it does and how it has changedThe Act behind immigration adviser licensing in New Zealand: its purpose, who may give immigration advice, the offences and penalties, the Authority and the Tribunal it created, and every amendment to date including the 2025 changes.
- Immigration adviser vs immigration lawyer in New ZealandThe difference between a licensed immigration adviser and an immigration lawyer in New Zealand: regulation, what each can do, complaints and how to choose.
- Immigration consultants and agents in New ZealandWhat an immigration consultant or immigration agent legally is in New Zealand, how to check whether one is licensed, and the rules for agents based overseas.
- Unlicensed immigration advice in New Zealand - how to spot and report itWho may legally give NZ immigration advice, the exemptions, the red flags for unlicensed operators and ghost advisers, the penalties, and how to report to the IAA.
Sources
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