Information for education agents

Providing immigration advice as an education agent

To provide New Zealand immigration advice, you must be a licensed immigration adviser or exempt.

Licensed immigration advisers have specialist expertise. They have met competency standards and follow a professional code of conduct.

It’s really important that you do not provide immigration advice to people you are dealing with unless you are licensed or exempt.

Immigration advice includes:

• advising a person on what visa they qualify for, what pathway they could take to work or residence in New Zealand, how best to answer a question in an application form
• using your knowledge of or personal experience in immigration matters to advise, assist, direct or represent a person in any other way.

Exemptions for education agents

As an education agent you are exempt only if:

• You are outside New Zealand and you advise on student visas only.

As an education agent you are not exempt if:

• You are in New Zealand, even if you only advise on student visas.
• You advise on work, visitor, residence, or any other immigration matters, in or outside New Zealand.

If your client needs immigration advice that you are not exempt to provide

There will be times when your client may need immigration advice that you are not exempt to provide. Your 3 options are:

• Become a licensed adviser.
• Use our public register to engage an adviser who is licensed, or engage an exempt person such as a lawyer with a New Zealand practising certificate.
• Advise your client that they can prepare their own application using information on the Immigration New Zealand(external link) website.

If you or your client have any concerns about anyone giving immigration advice without a licence, contact us as soon as possible.