Acting in accordance with the law

The Code sets out the specific legislation that immigration advisers must act in accordance with.

Clause 3 requires advisers to comply at all times with the laws of the country they are operating in.

In professional practice this means that advisers must understand and abide by the relevant laws when operating their businesses.

Clause 3(c) requires that advisers must act in accordance with New Zealand immigration legislation, including the Immigration Act 2009, the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007 and any applicable regulations made under either Act. This includes the Licensed Immigration Advisers Code of Conduct 2014 and the Immigration Advisers Competency Standards 2015.

Here is a decision from the Immigration Advisers Complaints and Disciplinary Tribunal that refers to acting in accordance with New Zealand law:

Carley (INZ) v Pastushenko

Decision: [2016] NZIACDT 10 (16 March 2016) (PDF, 78 KB)(external link)

Penalty Decision: [2016] NZIACDT 54 (14 September 2016) (PDF, 64 KB)(external link)

It is an offence under the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007 to employ or contract an unlicensed or non-exempt person as an immigration adviser. Advisers should be careful to ensure that clerical staff or other unlicensed staff do not provide immigration advice. Here are some of the many decisions from the Immigration Advisers Complaints and Disciplinary Tribunal that refer to this issue:

Greyling v Gimranov

Decision: [2016] NZIACDT 22 (2 May 2016) (PDF, 181 KB)(external link)

Penalty Decision: [2016] NZIACDT 55 (15 September 2016) (PDF, 216 KB)(external link)

Matheis v Ling

Decision: [2015] NZIACDT 91 (8 October 2015) (PDF, 184KB)(external link)

Chand v Devi

Decision: [2015] NZIACDT 74 (12 June 2015) (PDF, 152KB)(external link)

Penalty Decision: [2016] NZIACDT 4 (14 January 2016) (PDF, 134 KB)(external link)

L v Kim

Decision: [2015] NZIACDT 73 (4 June 2015) (PDF, 153KB)(external link)

[2015] NZIACDT 108 (22 December 2015) (PDF, 186KB)(external link)

Slinger v Zhou

Decision: [2015] NZIACDT 38 (15 April 2015) (PDF, 246KB)(external link)

Penalty Decision: [2015] NZIACDT 87 (27 August 2015) (PDF, 181KB)(external link)

Kong v Li

Decision: [2015] NZIACDT 33 (23 March 2015)(external link)

Interim Decision: [2015] NZIACDT 59 (15 May 2015) (PDF, 135KB)(external link)

Mohammadalibeigy v Yap

Decision: [2015] NZIACDT 7 (13 February 2015) (PDF, 92KB)(external link)

Penalty Decision: [2015] NZIACDT 64 (25 May 2015) (PDF, 182KB)(external link)

IAA v van Zyl

Decision: [2012] NZIACDT 37 (31 July 2012) (PDF, 156 KB)(external link)

Penalty Decision: [2012] NZIACDT 59 (11 September 2012) (PDF, 77 KB)(external link)

NQE v Tan

Decision: [2013] NZIACDT 37 (13 June 2013) (PDF, 195 KB)(external link)

Penalty Decision: [2013] NZIACDT 46 (1 August 2013) (PDF, 130 KB)(external link)

This decision refers to the scope of what is immigration advice:

Ekanayake v Registrar of Immigration Advisers

Decision: [2015] NZIACDT 67 (28 May 2015) (PDF, 177KB)(external link)