May 2020 Newsletter
It’s been a challenging couple of months at the Immigration Advisers Authority (IAA) as services have been operating at a reduced capacity.
The IAA’s office remains closed to the public until further notice, and the team will continue to work remotely. Please bear with us while we catch up on delayed work.
Due to the COVID-19 situation there has been a change in the way we receive our mail. In order to prevent any delays in processing licence applications and complaints, I recommend that you provide the requested documents via email to the requester or info@iaa.govt.nz. Guidance on the maximum limit for emails and attachments is detailed below.
We are continuing to review delivery options for Reference Group meetings and webinars. Further information about alternative arrangements for attending mandatory webinars during 2020 as part of your continuing professional development (CPD) is detailed below.
Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology are now offering an annual scholarship, valued at $5,000 for one prospective female student on the Graduate Diploma in New Zealand Immigration Advice, in partnership with EzyMigrate. Further details can be found below.
We have prepared some FAQs about IAA’s work, including licensing and service updates, you can find this information on our COVID-19 news update. This page will be updated as alert levels change.
I know this is a challenging and uncertain time for the industry, so if you feel you are not coping or have concerns about your business or expenses, help can be found at the official government COVID-19 website.(external link)
Kia kaha.
Simon van Weeghel
Acting Registrar of Immigration Advisers
2020 Reference group update
Reference group meetings are currently postponed. We are continuing to work on a solution to facilitate meetings with all members.
Updates from Toi Ohomai
Toi Ohomai/EzyMigrate Graduate Diploma in New Zealand Immigration Advice Scholarship
The scholarship is open to new female GDNZIA students commencing their studies in semester 2 2020 and is valued at NZ$5000. The scholarship is open to both domestic and international students.
Toi Ohomai/EzyMigrate Graduate Diploma in New Zealand Immigration Advice Scholarship
Licensing matters
Upgrades
The Licensing team continues to work remotely and is unable to receive paper applications. If you intend to submit an upgrade application in lieu of completing your renewal online, please send your application form and supporting documents in electronic format to referrals@iaa.govt.nz.
Please be aware there is a maximum limit for emails including attachments of 20MB. If possible, please reduce the size of your email or attachments. If you are sending multiple attachments, please send them in batches and label these accordingly (e.g. Emailing attachments: Part 1 of 3) so we can confirm receipt of your complete application.
Webinars
The Authority is currently exploring the provision of future webinars utilising Zoom functionality. Further information will be provided as arrangements are finalised.
In lieu of attending live webinars in 2020, you may register and review a recording of a previous webinar to meet the mandatory CPD requirements.
Previous recordings are available via this link.
You must ensure that your records and evidence meet the requirements as set out in the CPD Toolkit, which is available online.
Tribunal decisions
New decisions are appearing regularly and I encourage you to save the following link as a bookmark.
Read recent Tribunal decisions on the Justice website(external link)
