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Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007

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

16: Persons subject to restriction on being licensed

You could also call this:

“People who might not be allowed to become immigration advisers”

If you want to be licensed as an immigration adviser, there are some things that might stop you. The Registrar needs to be sure that these things won’t affect how well you can give immigration advice.

You might not be able to get a licence if:

You’ve been found guilty of a crime that involved being dishonest, or if you had to go to prison for a crime. This could be in New Zealand or in another country. It also includes if you broke the Fair Trading Act in New Zealand, or a similar law in another country.

You’ve been found guilty of breaking the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act.

In another country, you’re bankrupt and haven’t paid off your debts yet, or you’re not allowed to run a company. It also includes if you’ve been found guilty of breaking immigration laws, or if you’ve been made to leave that country.

You’ve had problems before that stopped you from being licensed as an immigration adviser.

Even if any of these things apply to you, you might still be able to get a licence. The Registrar will look at what happened and decide if it means you can’t give good immigration advice.

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This page was last updated on

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM407317.

Topics:
Immigration and citizenship > Visas Business > Industry rules Money and consumer rights > Consumer protection
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15: Persons prohibited from licensing, or

"People who can't become licensed immigration advisers"

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17: Other matters relevant to fitness for licensing, or

"Things the Registrar checks when deciding if you can be an immigration adviser"

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

16Persons subject to restriction on being licensed

  1. The following persons must not be licensed unless the Registrar is satisfied that the nature of the relevant offence or matter is unlikely to adversely affect the person's fitness to provide immigration advice:

  2. a person who has been convicted, whether in New Zealand or in another country, of a crime involving dishonesty, an offence resulting in a term of imprisonment, or an offence against the Fair Trading Act 1986 (or any equivalent law of another country); or
    1. a person who has been convicted of an offence under this Act; or
      1. a person who, under the law of another country,—
        1. is an undischarged bankrupt; or
          1. has been prohibited or disqualified from managing a company; or
            1. has been convicted of an immigration offence; or
              1. has been removed or deported from the country; or
              2. a person to whom section 15(1)(a) or (b) has applied in the past.

                Notes
                • Section 16(aa): inserted, on , by section 29 of the Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 10).