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Australian Migration Agents Licensed in NZ (TTMRA)

An Australian registered migration agent needs a New Zealand immigration adviser licence before giving New Zealand immigration advice. Under the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Act 1997 they can apply to the IAA without being tested on NZ immigration law, for NZD 2,039.33 (ordinarily resident in NZ) or NZD 1,773.33 (not). Check any agent on the IAA register, not Australia's OMARA register.

Australia and New Zealand regulate immigration advice separately. Registration with Australia's Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA) allows a person to give Australian immigration advice. It does not, on its own, allow them to give New Zealand immigration advice. For that, the person needs a licence from New Zealand's Immigration Advisers Authority (IAA).

There is a shortcut between the two systems, under the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Act 1997 (TTMRA), and it is being used more each year. This guide explains how the route works, what it costs, what the IAA's own figures show, and how anyone considering an Australian agent for a New Zealand matter can check that agent's NZ licence.

On this page "registered migration agent" and "OMARA" describe the Australian side only. In New Zealand the correct term is "licensed immigration adviser".

The starting rule: NZ advice needs an NZ licence

The IAA's page for Australian agents opens with the rule: "You must hold a New Zealand immigration adviser licence to provide New Zealand immigration advice."

That matches the IAA's general position that "any individual providing New Zealand immigration advice either in New Zealand or offshore must be licensed unless exempt." An agent based in Sydney or Melbourne who advises on a New Zealand visa is giving New Zealand immigration advice, wherever they sit.

The rule runs the other way too. The IAA notes that "if you're a New Zealand Licensed Immigration Adviser who wants to provide Australian immigration advice, you must apply to be registered with the OMARA under the TTMRA."

How the TTMRA route works

The IAA's licensing toolkit explains: "The Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Act 1997 (TTMRA) recognises Australia's regulatory standards regarding equivalent-registered occupations and streamlines the licensing process."

The same toolkit page states what that means for an Australian agent, in these words: "It means that, as a current Australian registered migration agent, you can apply for a full New Zealand immigration adviser licence even if you have not previously held a New Zealand licence."

It also says: "You will not be tested on your understanding of New Zealand immigration matters before being granted a licence. You will be required to provide evidence of your current registration as an Australian migration agent." Elsewhere on the page the IAA adds that it "does expect you to be familiar with" the Immigration Act 2009, the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007, the Immigration Advisers Competency Standards and the Licensed Immigration Advisers Code of Conduct.

Once licensed, a TTMRA entrant is bound by the same rules as every other New Zealand adviser: "the New Zealand Licensed Immigration Advisers Code of Conduct; and the Immigration Advisers Competency Standards."

What the application needs

Applications are made online through the IAA portal. The IAA lists these documents: - "a digital passport quality photograph" - "a certified copy of your personal identification" - "a copy of a document that confirms you are a currently registered OMARA agent, such as your OMARA registration certificate or a screenshot of your current register page from the OMARA website" - "a completed Form 401A: Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Act 1997 Notice, including a declaration of whether you are subject to any special conditions" - details of any special conditions, if applicable - a credit or debit card for the application fee, or an IAA letter confirming not-for-profit status.

Form 401A must be signed "in the presence of a person authorised to take statutory declarations in the country in which you reside." The same person who certifies the identification must certify the OMARA document and witness the Form 401A declaration.

As part of the assessment, the IAA says it "will contact OMARA to determine whether you have any complaints, investigations or disciplinary proceedings pending against you or whether you are subject to any special conditions."

Fees, in NZ dollars

The IAA publishes two price points depending on residence:

Ordinarily resident in NZ (including GST): application fee NZD 909.78, levy NZD 1,129.55, total NZD 2,039.33.

Not ordinarily resident in NZ: application fee NZD 791.11, levy NZD 982.22, total NZD 1,773.33.

The IAA defines the test: "A person is ordinarily resident in New Zealand if they have spent more than 183 days in New Zealand in the immediately preceding 12 months and is not unlawfully in New Zealand." Payment is in NZD only, by Visa or Mastercard.

The application fee is paid when applying. The levy is paid after the application is approved in principle. "If you do not pay the levy within 20 working days, the Registrar may refuse your application under section 19(1) of the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007. This refusal will be noted on the register."

Figures as published by the IAA, read 9 October 2026.

Timing and what happens after applying

"The Registrar will release a determination within 1 month of receiving your complete initial licence application under the TTMRA," the IAA says.

The IAA's main TTMRA page also states: "Until the Registrar releases a determination on your application, you are considered to be a licensed immigration adviser."

After approval in principle and payment of the levy, "your details will be added to the register of licensed immigration advisers", and the adviser can download a digital licence from the IAA portal.

New Zealand licences "are issued for 12 months, and must be renewed annually." A TTMRA entrant renews under the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007 like any other adviser. The Competency Standards also require "20 hours of continuing professional development (CPD) activities each licensing period."

If the application is refused, the IAA says "the refusal and your name and details will be listed on the public register", and the applicant can appeal to the Trans-Tasman Occupations Tribunal.

How many Australian agents use the route

The IAA's annual statistics count licences granted through the TTMRA each financial year (1 July to 30 June). The IAA labels the line "Initial provisional licences granted (TTMRA entry)":

  • 2020-21: 10
  • 2021-22: 7
  • 2022-23: 4
  • 2023-24: 6
  • 2024-25: 81
  • 2025-26: 142

For context, the IAA counted 1,681 licensed advisers in total at 30 June 2026, of whom 1,222 were onshore and 459 offshore.

A note on licence type

Two IAA pages describe the licence an Australian agent receives through this route in different terms, and both are quoted here as published on 9 October 2026:

The licensing toolkit page says an Australian registered migration agent "can apply for a full New Zealand immigration adviser licence".

The annual statistics page counts these grants under the heading "Initial provisional licences granted (TTMRA entry)".

The register itself records the licence type of every adviser. Section 78 of the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007, as summarised by the IAA, requires the register to show "whether their licence is a full, limited or provisional licence." So the licence type a particular adviser holds can be read directly from that adviser's register record. Where an adviser holds a provisional licence, the Code of Conduct requires their written agreement with a client to name their supervising full licence holder and give the supervisor's licence number (clause 19(c)).

For applicants: checking an Australian agent for an NZ matter

Some people already work with an Australian agent and want them to handle a New Zealand application as well. Whether that agent can lawfully do so is a matter of record, and it is checked in New Zealand, not Australia:

  1. Search the agent's name on the IAA public register of licensed immigration advisers. OMARA registration is checked on the OMARA register; it says nothing about a New Zealand licence.
  2. Confirm the status reads current and note the licence type.
  3. Ask for the New Zealand licence number and digital licence certificate; the IAA says the certificate's QR code opens the adviser's public profile on the register.
  4. Expect a New Zealand written agreement that meets the NZ Code of Conduct, including the adviser's NZ licence number (clause 19(a)) and, for a provisional licence, the supervisor's name and licence number.

An Australian agent without a current New Zealand licence, and not otherwise exempt, cannot lawfully give New Zealand immigration advice. The unlicensed advice guide covers what the IAA says about that.

Finding a licensed immigration adviser

Migratio's New Zealand directory lists licensed immigration advisers, with each adviser's register record linked so the licence and its type can be checked at the source. We do not rank advisers, and Migratio does not give immigration advice.

Questions people ask

Can an Australian migration agent give New Zealand immigration advice?

Only with a New Zealand immigration adviser licence from the IAA, unless an exemption applies. OMARA registration alone covers Australian immigration advice, not New Zealand advice.

How much does a TTMRA licence application cost?

As published by the IAA: NZD 2,039.33 including GST for someone ordinarily resident in New Zealand (application fee 909.78 plus levy 1,129.55), or NZD 1,773.33 for someone who is not (791.11 plus 982.22).

Do Australian agents sit a New Zealand exam under the TTMRA?

The IAA says they will not be tested on their understanding of New Zealand immigration matters before being granted a licence, though it expects familiarity with the relevant NZ Acts, the Competency Standards and the Code of Conduct.

How long does the IAA take to decide a TTMRA application?

The IAA says the Registrar will release a determination within 1 month of receiving a complete application.

How do I check if my Australian agent is licensed in New Zealand?

Search their name on the IAA public register of licensed immigration advisers and confirm the status is current. The register also shows whether the licence is full, provisional or limited.

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-09.

Related guides

  • How to Check an NZ Immigration Adviser's Licence — Search the adviser's name or licence number on the Immigration Advisers Authority (IAA) public register and confirm the status reads current. The record also shows whether the licence is full, provisional or limited. Lawyers are not on that register; check them on the New Zealand Law Society's register of lawyers.
  • NZ Immigration Advisers Based Outside New Zealand — Anyone giving New Zealand immigration advice from outside New Zealand needs an IAA licence unless they are exempt; 459 of the 1,681 licensed advisers were offshore at 30 June 2026. The one offshore-specific exemption covers student visa advice only.
  • Unlicensed Immigration Advice in NZ: How to Spot It — Anyone who gives New Zealand immigration advice, in NZ or overseas, must be licensed by the IAA or exempt (for example, a lawyer with a current practising certificate). Unlicensed advice can lead INZ to return an application, and the adviser faces up to NZ$100,000 and/or 7 years' imprisonment, even without charging. Complaints go to the IAA and do not affect your immigration status.
  • Moving to NZ From Australia: How the Rules for Australians Work — Immigration New Zealand grants an Australian Resident Visa at the New Zealand border for NZD 0 to Australian citizens and to permanent residents who hold an NZeTA. It lets the holder live, work and study in New Zealand indefinitely, but Australian temporary residents are not eligible.
  • Immigration Adviser or Lawyer in NZ: The Difference — Licensed immigration advisers (regulated by the IAA) and lawyers with a current New Zealand practising certificate (regulated by the New Zealand Law Society) can both give NZ immigration advice and represent people to INZ and the Immigration and Protection Tribunal. Only lawyers can represent a person in a New Zealand court or on judicial review.