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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.

When an immigration adviser misses a deadline, stops replying or charges for work that never happened, the person on the other end is usually still mid-application and worried about making things worse. New Zealand runs a formal complaints system for this, and it is separate from the visa itself. This guide explains who handles complaints, what the IAA can and cannot do, how the Disciplinary Tribunal fits in, what the published numbers show, and where complaints about lawyers and unlicensed people go instead. Every rule here is taken from the IAA and Ministry of Justice pages listed at the end, read on 9 October 2026.

Who handles complaints about immigration advisers

Three bodies matter, depending on who gave the advice.

The Immigration Advisers Authority (IAA) is the regulator for licensed immigration advisers. It is part of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). It licenses advisers, investigates complaints about them and investigates people who give New Zealand immigration advice without a licence.

The Immigration Advisers Complaints and Disciplinary Tribunal (IACDT) is run by the Ministry of Justice. It decides complaints the IAA refers to it, and it hears appeals against IAA decisions, such as a decision to reject a complaint. The Ministry of Justice is clear that the IAA is the front door: "If you have a complaint, you must contact the Immigration Advisers Authority first."

Lawyers are different. A lawyer with a current New Zealand practising certificate can give immigration advice without an IAA licence, and the IAA says complaints about lawyers, and about law-firm employees advising under their employment agreement, go to the New Zealand Law Society.

Before a formal complaint: the adviser's own complaints procedure

The IAA's guidance to migrants starts with the adviser. It says to "discuss any problems with your licensed immigration adviser first", explain the concern and suggest how it could be resolved, and that the adviser "must follow their internal complaints procedure to help fix the problem."

If that does not work, or it is not appropriate to raise the problem directly with the adviser, the IAA says to make a complaint to it.

The same IAA page lists what the Code of Conduct requires of a licensed adviser. These are the standards a complaint is usually measured against. They include giving the client a written agreement to sign before work starts, setting out the services and fees; charging fees that are "fair and reasonable"; issuing invoices with full descriptions; telling the client when the application is lodged and giving "on-going timely updates"; declaring conflicts of interest, including any commission; and keeping personal documents safe.

How to complain about a licensed adviser

The IAA publishes a complaint form (PDF) on its "Complain about a licensed immigration adviser" page. Its stated rules, as published on 9 October 2026:

There is no cost to make a complaint. The IAA says "making a complaint will not impact your immigration status in any way."

Anyone can complain. The complainant does not have to be the person who received the advice.

The complaint can be sent from anywhere; the complainant does not need to be in New Zealand.

Complaints can be made at any time. If the person is no longer an immigration adviser, the complaint must be made within 2 years of when they stopped being one.

Complaints cannot be anonymous. The IAA says "by law, you cannot make an anonymous complaint", and the adviser will be told a complaint has been made.

The IAA asks for detailed information about what happened, supporting evidence and contact details.

The IAA lists the grounds of complaint under the Act as negligence, incompetence, incapacity, dishonest or misleading behaviour, and breach of the Code of Conduct. It also notes that any complaint made after 30 March 2025 "does not need to include the grounds for complaint"; the complainant states the subject matter in writing and the IAA works out which grounds may apply.

Once lodged, a complaint about a licensed adviser cannot be withdrawn. The complainant can tell the IAA they no longer support it.

What the IAA does with a complaint

The IAA reviews the complaint to check it has the information it needs, then assigns an investigator, who may contact the complainant with questions or updates. It does not publish a fixed time frame; it says the length of an investigation depends on the complexity of the matter and on whether the complaint goes to the Tribunal.

At the end of an investigation, the IAA either closes the complaint and explains why, or refers it to the Disciplinary Tribunal.

The IAA can also decide not to take a complaint further. It cites section 45(1)(c) of the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007, which covers "trivial or inconsequential" matters. The factors it lists include: the consequences for the complainant, especially financial loss or an adverse immigration outcome; whether the misconduct was deliberate or careless; how the adviser responded and whether they fixed the problem at the time; whether the issue was technical or administrative; whether the outcome would have been the same anyway; mitigating factors such as health issues; earlier Tribunal decisions on similar conduct; and how long ago it happened.

Appealing when the IAA closes a complaint

If the IAA closes a complaint, the complainant can appeal that decision to the Disciplinary Tribunal. The Ministry of Justice's appeal page sets out the mechanics:

The appeal must be made in writing within 20 working days of the Authority's ruling.

There is no fee to appeal to the Tribunal.

The appeal includes the details of the case, a copy of the decision being appealed and any other information for the Tribunal to consider. It can be emailed to IACDT@justice.govt.nz or posted to the Tribunals Unit in Wellington (address on the Ministry's page).

On an appeal, the Ministry lists four things the Tribunal can do: reject the appeal; find the Registrar's decision incorrect but reject the complaint on another ground; decide it should hear the complaint and direct the Registrar to prepare it for filing; or decide the Registrar should ask the complainant whether the matter could be settled through the adviser's own complaints procedure.

What the Disciplinary Tribunal can order

When the Tribunal upholds a complaint, the Ministry of Justice lists the orders it can make (page last updated 27 February 2020): caution or censure the adviser; require training; suspend or cancel the licence; stop the adviser reapplying for a licence for up to 2 years or until conditions are met; order a penalty of up to $10,000; order costs; order the adviser to repay fees or expenses; and order compensation to the complainant or another person.

The IAA adds that sanctions may include "a change to the adviser's licence". It also notes that where it refers a complaint, the complainant cannot appeal the Tribunal's decision; only the adviser can appeal, against any sanctions imposed.

Tribunal decisions on past complaints are published on the Ministry of Justice website. Anyone checking an adviser before hiring can search them alongside the IAA's public register of licensed advisers.

What the published numbers show

The IAA publishes yearly figures. For 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026 it reports 1,681 licensed advisers at 30 June 2026 and, for complaints against licensed advisers: 143 received, 32 closed by the Authority, 49 referred to the Tribunal, 34 upheld by the Tribunal and 0 dismissed by the Tribunal. It also records 2 appeals against a Registrar's decision, both rejected by the Tribunal.

For 2024-25 the same lines were 72 received, 20 closed, 30 referred, 23 upheld and 1 dismissed.

Two cautions when reading these. The rows are counts of events in the year, so a complaint referred in one year may be decided in the next, and the upheld figure is not a share of that year's referrals. And the figures describe the system as a whole; they say nothing about any individual adviser.

Complaints about unlicensed people

Giving New Zealand immigration advice without a licence or an exemption is an offence. The IAA's process for these complaints is simpler:

Complaints go by email to iaa.investigations@mbie.govt.nz, with what happened, who the person was and, optionally, contact details.

Anonymous complaints are possible, though the IAA says that limits its ability to follow up.

There is no cost, the complaint can be sent from anywhere, and the IAA says it "will not impact your immigration status".

Investigations "generally can take 3 months to over a year".

The IAA may prosecute. It says prosecutions need a high standard of evidence and must be in the public interest, and that anyone found breaking the law "can face 7 years in prison and a fine of up to NZ$100,000."

In 2025-26 the IAA received 144 complaints about unlicensed people, closed 76 and brought 3 prosecutions.

Refunds, contracts and the Disputes Tribunal

The IAA's process is about professional conduct. It is not a debt-recovery service. The IAA itself points out that "you can consider making a claim with the Disputes Tribunal if the issue is about contracts or refund claims." The Tribunal's power to order repayment of fees or compensation applies only once a complaint is upheld there.

So a dispute that is mainly about money can run on a different track from a conduct complaint. Which route suits a particular dispute depends on its facts, and the IAA and Disputes Tribunal pages are the places to start.

When the visa matter itself needs a new adviser

A complaint does not fix the immigration problem underneath it. If an adviser's conduct has left an application late, incomplete or declined, the deadlines on that application keep running while the complaint is investigated. Reconsideration of a declined temporary visa has a 14-day window, a residence appeal to the Immigration and Protection Tribunal has 42 days, and neither waits for the IAA.

That is the point where people usually engage a different licensed adviser or a lawyer. Typically that involves handing over the client file (the Code requires advisers to return personal documents securely), a written agreement with the new adviser setting out the scope and fee before any work starts, and a review of what has been lodged and what deadlines apply. Whether anything can be done on the application, and what, is a question for that adviser; it depends on the person's facts.

Migratio lists licensed immigration advisers so you can compare them and contact one directly. Every listing shows the adviser's licence number, which you can check on the IAA's public register before you book. We don't assess cases and don't tell anyone which visa or route fits them; that is the adviser's job.

Questions people ask

How do I complain about an immigration adviser in NZ?

For a licensed adviser, the IAA publishes a complaint form on its 'Complain about a licensed immigration adviser' page. For someone giving advice without a licence, the IAA asks for an email to iaa.investigations@mbie.govt.nz. Complaints about lawyers go to the New Zealand Law Society.

Will complaining about my adviser affect my visa?

The IAA says making a complaint "will not impact your immigration status in any way". The complaint and the visa application are separate processes, and visa deadlines keep running while a complaint is investigated.

Can I complain anonymously?

Not about a licensed adviser: the IAA says by law the complaint cannot be anonymous, and the adviser is told about it. Complaints about unlicensed people can be anonymous, although that limits the IAA's ability to follow up.

Where are IACDT decisions published?

The Ministry of Justice publishes Immigration Advisers Complaints and Disciplinary Tribunal decisions on its website, linked from the IAA's complaint page as 'Tribunal decisions on past complaints'.

Can the Tribunal make an adviser refund my fees?

If it upholds a complaint, the Ministry of Justice lists repaying fees or expenses and paying compensation among the orders the Tribunal can make. For contract or refund disputes, the IAA also points to the Disputes Tribunal.

What if the IAA closes my complaint?

The complainant can appeal to the Disciplinary Tribunal. The Ministry of Justice says the appeal must be in writing within 20 working days of the Authority's ruling, and there is no fee.

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.
  • 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.
  • What NZ Immigration Advisers Charge, and Why — There is no official price list. The Code of Conduct requires fees to be "fair and reasonable in the circumstances", set out in a written agreement (hourly rate with a time estimate, or a fixed fee, plus GST or overseas tax), and invoiced each time they fall due. INZ's own application fee is a separate cost.
  • 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 Visa Declined: Reconsideration, IPT Appeals and Reapplying — Which routes exist after a decline depends on the visa type and where the person is. Temporary visa declines can be reconsidered by INZ in limited cases (14 days, NZD 220); residence declines can be appealed to the Immigration and Protection Tribunal (42 days, NZD 964).