Immigration adviser costs: what to check before paying

If you are paying for help with a New Zealand visa application, the person you pay must be a licensed immigration adviser (LIA) or someone exempt from licensing, such as a lawyer with a current practising certificate. The Immigration Advisers Authority (IAA) regulates advisers and publishes information on how much advice should cost, but the official guidance does not state any specific fee amounts, hourly rates, or standard charges. You should confirm the fee directly with the adviser and check the IAA register before you engage anyone.

Who is allowed to charge you for immigration advice

Immigration advice for a New Zealand visa application must come from a licensed immigration adviser (LIA) or a person who is exempt from being licensed. Anyone can help you fill in the application form using details you provide, but any advice tailored to your individual situation must come from someone approved by Immigration New Zealand (INZ) or exempt.

The Immigration Advisers Authority (IAA) is responsible for licensing immigration advisers and regulating the advice they give. The IAA provides information on who can advise you, how much it should cost, and any limits on the advice they can give.

If an adviser named in an application does not appear on the register of immigration advisers and is not exempt, INZ will refuse to accept or will decline the application. INZ will also contact the IAA, because providing immigration advice when neither licensed nor exempt is an offence.

What counts as immigration advice

Advice is any information or assistance tailored to your individual needs and situation. The official guidance lists examples:

• what type of visa you should apply for
• what supporting documents you might need
• how you should answer a question in the form
• how you should answer any follow-up questions from INZ
• what type of visa you may be eligible for at a later date

Simply helping you fill in an application form, using details you provide, does not count as advice. That distinction matters when you are deciding whether someone needs to be licensed and what you are paying for.

Who is exempt from licensing

Some people have a job or responsibility that means they do not need to be licensed to give immigration advice.

Outside New Zealand, this includes:

• education agents permitted to give immigration advice about student visas
• employees of the New Zealand Government providing immigration advice as part of their job
• foreign diplomats and consular staff

In New Zealand, this includes:

• lawyers with a current certificate to practise
• Members of Parliament and staff providing immigration advice as part of their job
• government employees giving immigration advice as part of their jobs
• volunteers at Community Law and the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB)

Note that education providers not in New Zealand can give immigration advice without being licensed but are restricted to advice about student visas.

How to verify an adviser before you pay

Before you ask an immigration adviser to help you, check the IAA register to make sure the person has a current licence and the right type of licence. Licensed immigration advisers must meet competency standards and follow a Code of Conduct set by the IAA.

If you are using a lawyer, the New Zealand Law Society website can help you find a lawyer or legal firm, or check that your existing lawyer has a current certificate to practise in New Zealand.

What you are checking	Where to check it
Current licence and type of licence	IAA register of licensed immigration advisers
Competency standards and Code of Conduct	IAA website
Current practising certificate for a lawyer	New Zealand Law Society website
Whether someone is exempt	INZ guidance on who can give immigration advice

What the IAA publishes about cost

The official guidance states that the IAA provides information on who can advise you, how much it should cost, and any limits on the advice they can give. However, it does not give any specific fee amounts, hourly rates, or standard charges for immigration advisers in New Zealand or any other country.

The official guidance also does not cover costs for immigration lawyers in the Netherlands, Costa Rica, or any other jurisdiction outside New Zealand, nor does it give figures for citizenship applications or per-hour rates. If you need those numbers, you must check the official regulator or government page for the relevant country.

What to do if you have a problem with an adviser

If you have difficulty finding a licensed immigration adviser, or you want to complain about one, you can contact the IAA directly. The IAA is responsible for licensing advisers and regulating the advice they give.

If someone provides immigration advice when they are neither licensed nor exempt, they are committing an offence, and INZ will contact the IAA.

What to do next

Before paying anyone for immigration advice, take these steps:

1. Confirm whether you actually need advice, or only help filling in a form. Form-filling help does not require a licensed adviser.
2. If you need advice, check the IAA register to confirm the person holds a current licence of the right type.
3. If you are using a lawyer, check the New Zealand Law Society website for a current practising certificate.
4. Ask the adviser directly what the fee will be and what it covers. The IAA publishes information on cost, but the official guidance does not give specific amounts.
5. If you are seeking advice outside New Zealand, check the official regulator or government website for that country for fee information.

Remember that INZ will refuse to accept or will decline an application if an adviser named in it is not on the register and is not exempt. Verifying the adviser’s status protects both your application and your money.