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.

Anyone who gives advice about New Zealand immigration, whether they sit in Auckland, Delhi, Manila or London, must hold a licence from the Immigration Advisers Authority unless the law exempts them. The licence belongs to a person, not a company, and it lasts one year. So the only reliable check is a fresh look at the IAA's public register, done before you sign anything or pay anything.

This guide walks through that check step by step, explains what each licence status and licence type means, and lists the warning signs the IAA and Immigration New Zealand (INZ) publish. Everything here is taken from IAA and INZ pages read on 9 October 2026.

Why the licence check matters

The IAA says that by law anyone who gives you immigration advice about New Zealand must be licensed by the Immigration Advisers Authority unless they are exempt, and that providing New Zealand immigration advice when not licensed or exempt is an offence under New Zealand law.

The rule covers advice given from anywhere. The IAA's "Who can give advice?" page says it "includes people giving New Zealand immigration advice from China, India or anywhere in the world."

There are practical consequences for the applicant too. The IAA lists what can happen when advice comes from an unlicensed person: "Your visa application will be returned by Immigration New Zealand (INZ). INZ does not accept applications from unlicensed people acting illegally." It also warns that unlicensed people "may not be honest with you or INZ", and that lying on a visa application "is a criminal offence and dishonesty may affect your future visas or jobs."

A one-minute register search is the cheapest protection available against all of that.

Licences belong to people, not companies

"Companies cannot be licensed, only individuals can," the IAA says. A firm's website, logo or business registration tells you nothing about whether the person advising you holds a licence.

In practice that means checking the individual who will actually give the advice. If a firm employs several people, the written agreement an adviser must give a client names "the name and licence number of any adviser who may provide immigration advice to the client" (Code of Conduct 2014, clause 19(a)). Each of those names can be searched on the register.

How to check a licence, step by step

1. Open the IAA public register. The search page is at app.mbieregisters.govt.nz (linked from the IAA website as "Find an adviser"). No login is needed for the public search.

1. Search by the adviser's name or licence number. Ask the adviser for their licence number if they have not given it; the Code requires it to appear in any written agreement.

1. Open the adviser's record and read the status. A current licence is the only status that allows a person to give immigration advice.

1. Read the licence type: full, provisional or limited (explained below).

1. Compare the business name and address on the register with the details the adviser gave you. The IAA's licensing toolkit notes that "only your primary business will appear on the register".

1. Ask to see the digital licence certificate. The IAA says you can "ask to see your adviser's digital licence certificate – confirm the authenticity of the certificate by scanning the QR code which will take you to the adviser's public profile on the online register." The IAA adds: "We only issue digital licence certificates." A paper certificate is not something the IAA issues.

Because licences run for one year, a check done months ago may be out of date. Check again before signing a written agreement and before any payment.

What each licence status means

The IAA lists six statuses and explains each one:

Current: "A licensed immigration adviser with a current licence is permitted to provide immigration advice in line with the code of conduct." Licences are valid for one year.

Expired: "Licences must be renewed annually. If no application to renew the licence is made on or before the licence expiry date, the licence is considered expired."

Surrendered: the adviser gave up the licence voluntarily by written notice to the Registrar of Immigration Advisers.

Refused: the person applied for a licence and did not meet the requirements. "All refused applicants must be listed on the register of immigration advisers."

Suspended: the Immigration Advisers Complaints and Disciplinary Tribunal can suspend a licence as a disciplinary measure, or while a complaint referred to it is being prepared, if it considers suspension is in the public's best interest. "A person whose licence has been suspended may not apply for a further licence throughout the duration of the suspension."

Cancelled: licences can be cancelled where the person is prohibited from holding one, the licence was granted on false or fraudulent information, the fee or levy payment was dishonoured, or the person has died. The Tribunal can also cancel a licence for breaches of the Code of Conduct.

The register deliberately keeps people who are not licensed. The IAA's register policy says it must include "the name and details of any person whose licence has been cancelled or suspended at any time, or whose application for a licence has been refused." Finding a name on the register is therefore not enough. The status is the part that matters.

Full, provisional and limited licences

The IAA describes three licence types:

Full: "Can provide you with advice on all immigration matters."

Provisional: can give advice on immigration matters "but must be supervised by a full licence holder."

Limited: "Can only provide you with advice about specific immigration matters. The types of immigration matters they can provide you with advice on recorded on their licence."

The Code of Conduct builds these into the written agreement. Where the adviser holds a provisional licence, the agreement must record that the adviser works "under the direct supervision of a full licence holder", give "the name and licence number of their supervisor", and record that the client's personal information will be disclosed to that supervisor, who must keep it confidential (clause 19(c)). Where the adviser holds a limited licence, the agreement must record which matters the licence covers "and that they may provide advice only in those areas" (clause 19(d)).

A provisional or limited licence is a lawful licence. The register simply tells you which kind it is, so the written agreement can be checked against it.

What the register contains, and what it may be used for

Section 78 of the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007 sets out what the register must hold for every licensed adviser. As summarised by the IAA, that is: full name, business address, licence number, service address, employer if applicable, the date of each registration of the licence, whether the licence is full, limited or provisional, and any terms or conditions attached to it. It also records cancellations, surrenders and suspensions with their dates.

The register has a stated purpose. The IAA's search page describes it as a way to find a licensed immigration adviser, check the status of an adviser's licence and their licensing history, and find out how to contact an adviser, and says section 77(2) of the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007 limits what the information on the register can be used for.

Checking an adviser before hiring them is exactly what the register is for.

Checking a lawyer instead

Some people who give immigration advice are not on the IAA register at all, lawfully. Exempt people are not licensed advisers, so they are not on the licensed adviser register.

The most common exemption is for lawyers. The IAA says a lawyer "is permitted to give immigration advice without a licence providing they hold a current practising certificate from the New Zealand Law Society", and that employees of a New Zealand lawyer or law firm advising within their employment can also give advice without a licence. For a lawyer, the check is the New Zealand Law Society's register of lawyers, which the IAA describes as the place "where you can check your lawyer's certificate and its expiry date."

The comparison between the two professions is covered in the immigration adviser vs lawyer guide.

Warning signs the IAA and INZ publish

The IAA tells migrants to stay away from anyone who: - "refuses to put their name on your visa application" - "claims to have personal contacts at INZ" - "asks you to sign a visa application before it has been filled out."

Immigration New Zealand's scams page adds its own list. Among them: an adviser or other third party who says "they can use their connections to guarantee an outcome or faster decision" (INZ says it "will not prioritise your application because you use an adviser"); being asked to lie; being promised residence; and being asked to pay a visa or medical fee into a bank account ("We will never ask you to pay for visa application fees by depositing money into a bank account").

INZ also says applicants "are not required to use an adviser". If someone insists you must use them, that is on INZ's list of scam signs too.

If the person advising you does not appear on the IAA register with a current status, and is not a lawyer with a current practising certificate or another exempt person, the IAA's complaints process covers unlicensed advice as well as licensed advisers. The unlicensed advice guide explains how that works.

Finding a licensed immigration adviser

Once a licence check is clear, the remaining questions are about fit: which visa areas the adviser works in, how they charge, and how they will keep you updated. Those are matters to discuss directly with the adviser.

Migratio's directory lists licensed immigration advisers so you can find and contact them, with a link to each adviser's register record so the licence can be checked at the source. We do not rank or rate advisers, and we do not give immigration advice.

Questions people ask

How do I check if an immigration adviser is licensed in NZ?

Search their name or licence number on the IAA public register and check that the status reads current. You can also ask to see their digital licence certificate and scan its QR code, which opens their public profile on the register.

Why is an adviser on the register if their licence was refused or cancelled?

The register is required to list people whose licence has been cancelled or suspended at any time, or whose licence application was refused. Being named on the register is not the same as being licensed; the status on the record is what counts.

What does a provisional immigration adviser licence mean?

A provisional licence holder can give immigration advice but must be supervised by a full licence holder. Their written agreement with a client must name the supervisor and give the supervisor's licence number.

Can an immigration company be licensed in New Zealand?

No. The IAA says companies cannot be licensed, only individuals can. Check the person who will give the advice, not the business name.

Are immigration lawyers on the IAA register?

No. Lawyers with a current New Zealand practising certificate are exempt and do not appear on the IAA register. Their practising certificate can be checked on the New Zealand Law Society's register of lawyers.

How long does an immigration adviser licence last?

One year. Advisers must renew annually; a licence not renewed on or before its expiry date is recorded as expired.

Sources

• IAA — Search the register of licensed immigration advisers (read 2026-10-09)
• IAA — Register of licensed immigration advisers (licensing toolkit: s 77 purposes, s 78 contents) (read 2026-10-09)
• IAA — Working with a licensed immigration adviser (read 2026-10-09)
• IAA — Licence status (current, expired, surrendered, refused, suspended, cancelled) (read 2026-10-09)
• IAA — Who can give advice? (read 2026-10-09)
• IAA — The risks of relying on illegal advice (read 2026-10-09)
• Licensed Immigration Advisers Code of Conduct 2014 (IAA PDF) (read 2026-10-09)
• New Zealand Law Society — Search the register of lawyers (read 2026-10-09)
• Immigration New Zealand — Protecting yourself from immigration scams (read 2026-10-09)
• IAA licensing toolkit — Apply as an Australian registered migration agent (TTMRA) (read 2026-10-09)

Last checked 2026-10-09.

Related guides

• 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.
• 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.
• Complaining About an NZ Immigration Adviser: How the Process Works — Complaints about a licensed immigration adviser go to the Immigration Advisers Authority (IAA), which can close them or refer them to the Immigration Advisers Complaints and Disciplinary Tribunal. There is no cost, anyone can complain from anywhere, and the IAA says a complaint does not affect the complainant's immigration status.
• Your First Consultation With an NZ Immigration Adviser — If an adviser charges for a first consultation, the Code of Conduct requires your written consent to the fee and payment terms before it starts; an email exchange is enough. A full written agreement is not needed for the consultation itself, but it is required before any further paid work.
• 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.