8 November 2017 at 9:00 am

Giving students the right immigration advice

The New Zealand’s Immigration Advisers Authority (IAA) is reminding all education providers that any marketing managers or staff providing New Zealand immigration advice to international students must be licensed or exempt.

Many international students say they have been promised a pathway to work or residence in New Zealand. However, education provider staff or agents need to be licensed to give advice on pathways to work visas or residence visas in New Zealand.

A person is exempt from the licensing requirement if they are outside New Zealand and advise on student visas only.

This means that when education providers and agents are offshore (such as at education fairs) they can advise on and assist with student visa applications. However, they cannot advise on any other visa type including guardian visas, visitor visas, working holiday visas, work visas or residence visas.

However, there are other ways that education providers or agents can help international students with immigration matters.

As an education provider or agent, you can:

Provide publicly available information

  • Send a link or refer to information on Immigration New Zealand’s (INZ) webpage
  • Point out the requirements listed on a visa application form
  • Print out INZ’s checklists and refer to those

 Assist with completing a visa form

  • You can assist a student to complete a visa form, but only if the student directs you by providing the answers
  • You can’t advise them on the best answer if they ask you for help
  • If they ask a question, you can refer them to the answer if it is on the form or on the INZ website.

 Translate or interpret

  • You can translate or interpret INZ information or the client’s from one language to another
  • You can’t add your own views to this translation or interpretation.

 Work with a licensed immigration adviser

  • You can have a licensed immigration adviser on staff or a local licensed adviser you call on from time to time.

Direct students to

The IAA can provide copies of its Guide to Licensed Immigration Advisers in English, Chinese, Korean, Samoan, Tongan, Hindi and Punjabi.

For more information email info@iaa.govt.nz or visit www.iaa.govt.nz.

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