Not-for-profit status
This policy outlines the circumstances in which an immigration adviser can apply for not-for-profit status with the Immigration Advisers Authority (IAA).
Under the Immigration Advisers Licensing Regulations 2008, advisers are not required to pay a licence application fee or immigration adviser’s levy if they:
- act on a not-for-profit basis; or
- are employees of, or volunteers working for, organisations operating on a not-for-profit basis.
Act on a not-for-profit basis in an individual capacity
To act as an immigration adviser on a not-for-profit basis in an individual capacity, you must meet the following criteria:
- You must not profit financially from the immigration advice activity.
- You must not charge more than nominal fees for services provided.
- You may recover actual expenses, but may not charge for your time.
You are acting in an individual capacity if you are acting outside of an employment or contractual business relationship.
Employees or volunteers working for not-for-profit organisations
To act as an immigration adviser on a not-for-profit basis as an employee or volunteer, you must work for a not-for-profit organisation.
A not-for-profit organisation is:
- An organisation in its own right
- One that does not return profits to those who own or control it
- One that does not charge more than a nominal fee for services provided
- Institutionally separate from government
- Self-governing
- One that has voluntary membership and participation
- One that is charitable in nature and does not have a commercial purpose or interest
Make an application
To obtain or renew not-for-profit status, you need to submit an application for ‘not-for-profit recognition’ to the IAA. This application is separate from an application for an immigration adviser licence.
Warning
You must apply to obtain or renew not-for-profit status at least 2 months before your licence expiry date (or 2 months before you wish to apply for a licence for the first time) to ensure that you can apply without paying the application fee.
To make an application for not-for-profit recognition, email a completed Form 501: Not-for-profit Recognition Application along with copies of the documents requested by the form to the IAA:
Form 501: Not-for-profit Recognition Application [PDF, 1.1 MB]
Email the IAA: info@iaa.govt.nz
Assessment of your application
The IAA will assess all the information you provide.
If you are approved for not-for-profit status, you will receive a letter from the IAA confirming this. You will need to upload a copy of this letter when you apply for a licence. You will then be able to apply for a licence online without paying the otherwise required fee and levy.
Your licence application will be assessed in the same manner and according to the same competency standards as a fee-paying applicant.
Changes to not-for-profit status
If the circumstances around your not-for-profit status change, you must contact the IAA in writing within ten working days of the change.
If you change the not-for-profit organisation you are working for, you must submit a new Form 501: Not-for-profit Recognition Application as if you were applying to work for a not-for-profit organisation for the first time.
If you do not maintain your not-for-profit status, you must immediately pay the licence application fee that would otherwise have been payable and the immigration adviser’s levy that is in proportion to the unexpired term of the licence you currently hold.
Scholarship
Te Pūkenga | 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.