logo
skip to main content skip to search skip to main navigation skip to secondary navigation
View Immigration advisers authority home page
Find an adviser

Adviser login

Login to your RealMe account RealMe logo Login to your RealMe account RealMe logo

Mobile navigation

Immigration Advisers Authority Announcement

Online services will be unavailable from 9:00pm Wednesday 12 March 2025 (NZDT). Normal services should resume from 11:00pm Wednesday 12 March 2025 (NZDT). We apologise for any inconvenience.

For advisers small banner

The CPD plan and record

Advisers must maintain an acceptable continued professional development (CPD) plan and record for each 12-month licensing period.

Note

7.1 Advisers must maintain an acceptable continued professional development (CPD) plan and record for each 12-month licensing period. What must be included in an acceptable CPD plan and record is notified on the Immigration Advisers Authority’s website.

Requirements

An acceptable CPD plan and record is specific to you.

Your CPD plan must include:

  • a description of your learning needs
  • a description of your proposed actions to address these learning needs,

Your CPD record must include:

  • a description and details of each activity you undertake to meet your learning needs including:
    • your reflections on each activity you undertake
    • date completed
    • description of activity
    • number of CPD hours you completed
  • documentation showing your attendance at each activity you undertake.

Guidance

Planning CPD is an ongoing process which begins when you first start practice. You may review your learning needs and amend them at any time.

If you are a new licensed immigration adviser you should prepare your CPD plan as soon as possible. If you are an existing licensed immigration adviser you should create your annual CPD plan as soon as possible following each licence renewal.

We recommend that you develop your CPD plan for a year, at least in general terms, but you may review it whenever you wish to amend your learning needs, and/or make them more specific if necessary.

The intention is that, at the beginning of your licensing year, you reflect afresh on your learning needs and proposed actions for the year ahead, and document these in your CPD plan.

As you complete activities, you will then document and reflect on these in your CPD record.

You are not required to submit your CPD plan for the year ahead to the Immigration Advisers Authority (IAA) at your licence renewal. Rather, the IAA may inspect your CPD plan and record for your most recent licence period at your licence renewal.

The following questions are designed to help you maintain your CPD plan and record.

For your CPD plan:

  • To help identify your current learning needs, consider:
    • What are the priority areas for my practice? 
    • What do I do well regarding my knowledge, skills, professionalism/ethics, practice management?
    • What needs improvement regarding my knowledge, skills, professionalism/ethics, practice management?
    • What are my priorities?
  • When describing your proposed actions to address your learning needs, consider:
    • How would I like to fulfil each learning need? For example, attending a seminar, organising or participating in a study group, receiving coaching.

For your CPD record:

  • When describing each activity, consider:
    • How is this activity related to the Immigration Advisers Competency Standards or the Licensed Immigration Advisers Code of Conduct?
    • How is it relevant to my learning needs as identified in my CPD plan?
    • How has it provided me with an opportunity for interaction and feedback?
  • To reflect on your activities, consider:
    • What did I learn?
    • What will I do differently as a result?
    • Did the activity fulfil or contribute to my current learning needs? If so, how?
    • Do I have any further learning needs as a result of this activity?

Saving your CPD plan and record

IAA online portal

You may keep a copy of your completed CPD plan and record in the IAA online portal, including uploading evidence of CPD activities completed. You can upload your completed plan and record at any time during the licensing year, up until you submit your next licence renewal application.

For more guidance on how to upload your CPD plan and record to the IAA online portal, please see our section on continuing professional development.

Continuing professional development 

Keep it yourself

Alternatively, you may retain your record in hard-copy or electronic format or a combination of both.

If you wish to keep your records yourself, a template CPD plan and record is available below.

Keep your CPD plan and record for 3 years

You must maintain an acceptable CPD plan and record for each licensing period.

You must keep each annual CPD plan and record for 3 years.

If you choose to keep your record in the IAA online portal, these records will remain there for you to view.

Related documents

Immigration links

INZ Operational Manual(external link)

Internal advice to immigration staff(external link)

Policy Amendment Circulars(external link)

Internal Administration Circulars(external link)

Additional reading

Judicial decisions

Tribunal decisions

Adviser newsletters

Webinars

Requirements

What must be included in an acceptable CPD plan and record is notified in the table below.

 

An acceptable CPD plan and record is specific to you and must include:

CPD PLAN
  • a description of your learning needs
  • a description of your proposed actions to address these learning needs

CPD RECORD

  • a description and details of each activity you undertake to meet your learning needs including:

    • your reflections on each activity you undertake
    • date completed
    • description of activity
    • number of CPD hours you completed
  • documentation showing your attendance at each activity you undertake
  The questions below are designed to help you maintain your CPD plan and record:

CPD PLAN
  • to help identify your current learning needs consider:
    • what are the priority areas for my practice?
    • what do I do well regarding my knowledge, skills, professionalism/ethics, practice management?
    • what needs improvement regarding my knowledge, skills, professionalism/ethics, practice management?
    • what are my priorities?
  • when describing your proposed actions to address your learning needs, consider:
    • how would you like to fulfil each learning need? For instance, attending a seminar, organising or participating in a study group, receiving coaching etc.
CPD RECORD
  • when describing each activity, consider how the activity:
    • is related to the Immigration Advisers Competency Standards or the Licensed Immigration Advisers Code of Conduct
    • is relevant to your learning needs as contained in your CPD plan
    • provided you with an opportunity for interaction and feedback
  • to reflect on your activities consider:
    • what did I learn?
    • what will I do differently as a result?
    • did the activity fulfil or contribute to my current learning needs? If so, how?
    • do I have any further learning needs as a result of this activity?
Top