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Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007

Regulation of immigration advisers - Immigration advisers to be licensed, unless exempt

9: Immigration applications or requests from unlicensed immigration advisers

You could also call this:

"What happens if you use an unlicensed person to help with your immigration application"

Illustration for Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007

You cannot use an unlicensed immigration adviser to help with your immigration application. The person helping you must be a licensed immigration adviser or exempt from needing a licence under section 11. If they are not, your application will not be accepted. You might accidentally have your application accepted, but it will be refused later. The government will try to make sure you know about this rule when you get immigration forms and information. They will tell you if your application is not accepted and how you can fix it. If your application is not accepted, the government will write to you and explain what to do next. They will tell you how to resubmit your application in a way that is acceptable.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM407310.

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Topics:
Immigration and citizenship > VisasImmigration and citizenship > Becoming a citizen
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8: Offshore immigration advice, or

"Rules for people giving immigration advice from outside New Zealand"

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10: Who may be licensed as immigration adviser, or

"Rules for becoming a licensed immigration adviser"

Part 1Regulation of immigration advisers
Immigration advisers to be licensed, unless exempt

9Immigration applications or requests from unlicensed immigration advisers

  1. Immigration applications or requests provided or prepared on behalf of a person (the applicant) by another person (the agent) must not be accepted unless the agent—

  2. is a licensed immigration adviser; or
    1. is exempt from the requirement to be licensed under section 11.

      1. If an application or a request that must not be accepted is accepted automatically, in error, or for any other reason, the application must be refused.

      2. The chief executive must, so far as practicable, ensure that immigration forms and information brochures prepared or provided by the Department contain advice about the effect of subsections (1) and (2).

      3. If subsection (1) or (2) applies in a particular case, the chief executive must notify the applicant, in writing,—

      4. that the application or request is not accepted or is refused; and
        1. how the application or request may be resubmitted in an acceptable manner.

          Notes
          • Section 9: replaced, on , by section 26 of the Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 10).