Part of the directory of licensed immigration advisers in New Zealand
Why the different names exist
Consultant and agent are common industry and overseas terms. In many countries, migration agent or immigration consultant is the official title, so migrants and offshore businesses naturally use the same words about New Zealand. The Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007 does not: it defines immigration advice and requires the person giving it to be licensed or exempt, whatever they call themselves.
The practical consequence: a business marketing itself as an immigration consultancy is fine only if the people advising you hold licences.
The job title tells you nothing; the licence number tells you everything.
How to check a consultant or agent
- Ask for the licence number
Anyone giving New Zealand immigration advice in the course of business must hold one, or be exempt.
- Search it
On this directory's licence checker or the official IAA register.
- If they say they are a New Zealand lawyer
Verify the name on the New Zealand Law Society register instead; this directory also lists verified immigration law firms.
Paid immigration advice from them is unlawful, and Immigration New Zealand can refuse to accept applications prepared by unlicensed people.
Every licensed immigration adviser has a profile on this directory showing licence status, type, tenure and filing history; browse immigration advisers by city or the full A to Z.
Agents based overseas
The licensing requirement follows the advice, not the address. Many offshore agencies hold New Zealand licences for exactly this reason, and their immigration advisers appear on the register like anyone else.
| What the agent does | Immigration advice? |
|---|---|
| Advises on New Zealand visas from outside New Zealand | Yes: offshore agents handling New Zealand visa applications generally need a licence too, subject to the Act's specific exemptions |
| Helps you choose a course (an education agent) | No |
| Advises on or handles the student visa application | Yes |
If an education agency is doing your visa work, the same check applies: ask for the licence number and verify it.
Frequently asked questions
This guide is part of the directory of licensed immigration advisers in New Zealand.
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.
- How to become an immigration lawyer in New ZealandThe pathway to practising immigration law in New Zealand: law degree, professional legal studies, admission, the practising certificate, and why New Zealand lawyers do not need an IAA licence.
- 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.
- 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.
- How to choose an immigration adviser in New ZealandA practical checklist for choosing a licensed immigration adviser: verifying the licence, licence types, questions to ask, red flags and where to complain.
Sources
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