October 2017 newsletter
Registrar update
The results of the 2016/17 survey of the clients of licensed immigration advisers are now in and you can read all about them below. The survey shows that client satisfaction with licensed advisers remains high and consistent over time. There are also some valuable insights on what you can do to improve the customer experience.
This month we are launching a campaign to reach Filipino communities here in New Zealand and in the Philippines to raise awareness about their options when seeking immigration advice. I am visiting the Philippines to meet with the Philippines Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), POEA agencies, education agents, travel agents and the media. We have created some new resources which you can check out below and share.
In light of this campaign, it is timely to remind those of you who have relationships with recruitment agencies in the Philippines that you must take great care to ensure that you are communicating with the visa applicants directly and not relying on unlicensed people to provide New Zealand immigration advice and assistance.
In October we are also building on the work we did in India last year, raising awareness of the licensing requirements, by running a Facebook campaign targeting a range of new cities in India including Hyderabad, Bangalore and Ahmedabad, as well as Indian migrants already here in New Zealand.
Our final note in this newsletter is on how you can help our effort to reduce unlicensed advice. There are around 1100 licensed immigration advisers and the most common way for people to hear about the licensing regime is through word of mouth. The more people you reach with the licensing message, the greater our collective impact will be.
Catherine Albiston
Registrar of Immigration Advisers
Migrant Survey Results are in
The Immigration Advisers Authority has surveyed clients who have used a licensed immigration adviser since 2009. The aim of this research is to monitor licensed adviser performance and provide information that will assist the IAA to regulate and support licensed advisers.
The survey is undertaken using an online methodology. Applicants who have received a decision on their application and are recorded by Immigration New Zealand as having used a licensed adviser (and with a personal email addresses on record) are invited to participate. The questionnaire is provided in English and Simplified Chinese.
The 2016/2017 survey results show satisfaction with the service provided by licensed advisers remains high and stable over time. More than eight in ten clients were satisfied with the overall service they received and were willing to recommend their licensed adviser to friends and family.
This year’s survey shows an increase in satisfaction among clients who used an adviser located offshore, bringing satisfaction in line with clients who use an NZ adviser for the first time.
Positively, dissatisfaction remains low, with less than one in ten dissatisfied with the overall service they received. Primary reasons for dissatisfaction were because the process was too slow, the adviser was not knowledgeable and the cost was too high.
85% of clients were satisfied with the overall quality of service they received from their licensed adviser in 2016/2017. This result has remained stable over the past three surveys and remains just below the highest result of 87% achieved in 2012.
The main reasons given for being satisfied overall were similar to previous years:
- A good, helpful service was provided (46%)
- The adviser was professional/honest (27%)
- A fast/timely service was provided (21%).
6% of clients were dissatisfied with the overall service. The main reasons for being dissatisfied were also similar to earlier surveys:
- A poor/unhelpful service was provided (6%)
- It was a slow/lengthy process (5%)
- The adviser was not knowledgeable/experienced (5%)
- The cost of services was expensive (5%).
For more results, including the perceived benefits of using an adviser, what you could do to improve your service, and how clients heard about their licensed adviser, read our presentation or summary of results.
View the presentation here
Read the summary of results here
Philippines campaign launches
New Zealand is a popular destination for Filipino migrants to visit, work, live or study. Filipinos feature in the top five nationalities approved visas across three categories. In 2016 Immigration New Zealand approved over 17,000 visitors visas, 14,300 work visas and 3,800 student visas from the Philippines.
Catherine Albiston is travelling to the Philippines in October to raise awareness about the importance of using licensed advisers or someone who is exempt when seeking New Zealand immigration advice. In Manila, Catherine will be meeting with travel and education agents, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration agencies and the media. In Cebu, Catherine will participate in an NZ Inc event with Tourism New Zealand, Education New Zealand, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise and engage with stakeholders and media.
The IAA is promoting its message to Filipinos through Facebook both here in New Zealand and in the Philippines. To help with this campaign we have created:
- An article and advertisement you can share on social media
- A POEA Factsheet to give POEA agencies clarity on what they can and can’t do
- A Consumer Checklist, so migrants can check safeguards are in place before they get immigration advice.
Please take this opportunity to share our resources with your networks to ensure Filipino migrants to New Zealand are getting good immigration advice.
Share our article
Share our Consumer Checklist
Share our POEA Factsheet
Share our press release
What can you do to reduce the use of unlawful advice?
The IAA is working hard to reduce the use of unlawful immigration advice. We are actively creating greater awareness of the risks of unlicensed advice in vulnerable communities worldwide and we are educating and prosecuting offenders.
What can licensed advisers do to help this effort?
The most effective thing you can do on a day-to-day basis is promote the fact that you are licensed:
- Use the Licensed Advisers Trademark.
- Make sure every client you talk to knows you are licensed.
- Show them your wallet card.
- Send them a link to your register listing.
- When you are advertising your services, let people know you are licensed.
The most common way for people to hear about the licensing regime is through word of mouth. You can help create a culture where your licensed status is prominent. The more people you reach with the licensing message, the greater our collective impact will be.
2017 webinars
Managing conflicts of interest
Wednesday 25 October 3-4pm
This webinar will go over a New Zealand licensed immigration adviser's obligations regarding managing conflicts of interest.
Please register for this webinar here(external link)
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
Communicating with your client
Wednesday 22 November 3-4pm
This webinar will go over the key requirements you have as a New Zealand licensed immigration adviser regarding communicating with your client.
Please register for this webinar here(external link)
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
Industry places on the Graduate Diploma in New Zealand Immigration Advice
Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology will reserve 25 places in the February 2018 intake of the Graduate Diploma in New Zealand Immigration Advice for people currently employed within immigration practices. These places can be either full-time or part-time.
To reserve an industry place, the employer needs to contact Jeni Fountain jeni.fountain@toiohomai.ac.nz by Friday 17 November 2017 and confirm that the employee:
- Has a formal employment relationship with their organisation.
- Will be required by their organisation to apply for an immigration adviser licence once they graduate.
Once an industry place has been offered to the employer’s organisation, the prospective student will need to apply and meet the academic and entry requirements of the programme before they can enrol and utilise the place reserved in their name.
Semester one of the Graduate Diploma starts on 19 February 2018.
Graduate Diploma Not-for profit Scholarship
Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology offers one scholarship each year for a student of the Graduate Diploma in New Zealand Immigration Advice who intends to provide New Zealand immigration advice on a not-for-profit basis while working or volunteering for a not-for-profit organisation in New Zealand.
The scholarship will cover the student’s domestic tuition fees for the one year Graduate Diploma.
Before applying to the Polytechnic for the scholarship, the applicant must have their not-for-profit status pre-approved by the Authority.
