Visas & Advice Detail
NZ immigration advisors to be registered
As of the beginning of May, mandatory offshore licensing of NZ immigration advisors came into effect.
Those providing New Zealand immigration advice from overseas must now be licensed, unless they are specifically exempted from licensing by the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act.
Compulsory licensing of all immigration advisors based in New Zealand was introduced back in May last year, however this requirement has now been rolled out worldwide.
This will surely be a good thing for anyone dreaming of migrating to the 'Land of the Long White Cloud' (as New Zealand is known). A year ago when mandatory licensing was introduced in New Zealand, just 170 immigration advisors were licensed. As of the start of this month though, there are 414 licensed advisors, including 132 based offshore. The result is that there are far more officially regulated people to help you reach your dream life than ever before, and so you can be certain you are getting accurate information - as long as you are speaking with a licensed advisor.
"New Zealand's reputation as a migrant destination will be strengthened through new laws covering offshore immigration advisers," NZ Immigration Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman commented after the initiation of the new requirements. "Before the Act anyone could call themselves an immigration adviser and migrants had no way of knowing whether their adviser was reputable or a cowboy out to make money at their expense.
"The Act is designed to provide the same consumer protection to migrants that New Zealand citizens expect as of right. Migrants are often in a vulnerable position; if they take the wrong course of action, they may be deported or have their application refused."
For more information about the Immigration Advisers Authority, go to www.iaa.govt.nz.