Immigration advice is all about the laws and policies of Immigration New Zealand. It is always a safe bet to get the right Immigration advice to make your shifting smooth and easy.

It consists of advice about

• visas that you are entitled to and the right visa for you
• Preparation of your visa application
• Appealing for the decision of your visa application
• your options if you are living in New Zealand unlawfully

Before the immigration advice, you should ensure the following

• Get in touch with the advisers (exempt or licensed) to find out about their experience and qualifications, their services, and their charges.
• Ensure the immigration advisers have a valid license
• Check the license type and the expiry date of the adviser; also, the adviser should be able to deal with your immigration case.
• Stay away from the person claiming to have personal contacts at Immigration New Zealand.
• Be aware of immigration or visa scams.

Under the Consumer Guarantees Act, immigration advisers in New Zealand must guarantee that their advice

• Should be given with care and skill
• Should meet the reason you are taking advice for
• Should advise promptly
• Should be affordable

You can ask the adviser to solve the problems or get a refund if the advice leads to any problems. You can also ask for compensation if the problem cannot be solved.

False or unacceptable services

Immigration advisers cannot make faulty or confusing statements or behave incorrectly or deceptively when advising under the Fair Trading Act. Misleading prices or advertising.

Who is eligible to give you immigration advice?

You have a lot of options about who can give you immigration advice. These include;

• An immigration adviser with a valid license
• An exempted immigration adviser like a lawyer having experience in immigration or employees/volunteers at New Zealand Citizen’s Advice Bureau and Community Law Centres
• Advice from Immigration New Zealand (INZ)

The adviser who gives immigration advice should have registration with the Immigration Advisers Authority (IAA), except if they are exempted.

This is to shield you from the dangers of utilizing an unlicensed adviser who may lie about your visa application, or give you misinformation, so your visa application might be rejected.

What should you do If things go wrong?

Complain to your immigration adviser first. If you are unsatisfied with the immigration advice you got, you can complain to your adviser or Immigration New Zealand that dealt with your visa application. They will have a procedure to deal with complaints.

Complain to the Immigration Advisers Authority (IAA)

• You have got advice about New Zealand from an unlicensed adviser or exempt, or
• You are not happy with the advice from your licensed immigration adviser, and you can’t solve the problem with them directly.

This won’t influence your immigration status or visa application.

Complete the application form yourself

You can select the type of visa from the immigration website and complete the application form. The information is given on the website by Immigration New Zealand.

Every type of visa has an application form and a guide. You should read it thoroughly before completing the application form. You can contact the INZ for any help.