Immigration lawyers in Wellington
4 law firms practising immigration law have an office in the Wellington 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.
- JB Morrison LawyersMulti-practice firmwebsite
Wellington immigration team: Merlaina Donald (admitted 2003)
Wellington immigration team: John Steven Petris (admitted 1979)
- Dentons New ZealandMulti-practice firmwebsite
- Tuitala LawMulti-practice firmwebsite
Other NZ immigration law firms serving Wellington
- Lane NeaveChristchurch
- Pitt & Moore LawyersNelson
- AW LawAuckland
- D&S Law (Dalley Sundar)Auckland
- Laurent Law Barristers & SolicitorsAuckland
- ABMM Legal (Auld Brewer Mazengarb & McEwen)New Plymouth
- Duncan CotterillChristchurch
- Fisher Foley Barristers and SolicitorsAuckland
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 Wellington, 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
- 2
- Law firms with an office here
- 4
- Licensed advisers based here
- 58
- Median years since admission
- 35
The longest-admitted immigration lawyer listed in Wellington was admitted to the bar in 1979.
Published appeal record of Wellington counsel
98 published appeals name counsel based in Wellington, across 2 of the 2 listed here, most recently 8 July 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Refugee & protection | 45 | 11(25% of 44 decided) | 33 |
| Deportation: non-resident | 39 | 21(55% of 38 decided) | 17 |
| Residence: sibling & adult child | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Residence: partnership | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Residence: parent | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Deportation: resident | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Residence: dependent child | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Residence: skilled migrant | 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 Appeals settled, withdrawn or resolved before a decision do not appear, so this is a record of published outcomes rather than of everything a practitioner has done.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 Wellington, 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. 2 immigration lawyers are based in Wellington, alongside 58 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 Wellington 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 Wellington.