Reapply for a licence
This policy sets out how previously licensed applicants can reapply for a provisional, limited or full New Zealand immigration adviser licence.
Before you reapply
If more than 12 months has passed since you last held a licence, you must complete an approved refresher course before you reapply. You must submit your application to reapply within 12 months of completing an approved refresher course.
You are not required to complete an approved refresher course if you held a licence within the last 12 months.
More information on approved refresher courses is available on our Qualifications page.
Australian registered migration agents
If you were previously licensed as a New Zealand immigration adviser under the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Act 1997 (TTMRA), you can reapply for a licence under the TTMRA. This does not require you to complete a refresher course before submitting a reapplication.
Process to reapply for a licence
To reapply for a licence, you need to lodge an online application using the IAA online portal.
If you are unable to lodge an online application, please contact the Immigration Advisers Authority (IAA) to assist you.
Documents
To reapply for a licence, you will need:
- a digital passport quality photograph
- a certified copy of your personal identification
- if applicable, any documents relevant to your fitness for licensing
- if you are applying for a provisional licence, supervision arrangement documents, including:
- a completed Form 101A: Supervision Arrangement Application, signed by all parties
- an acceptable supervision agreement, signed by all parties.
- if you were selected for inspection at your last renewal but did not renew your licence, the documents set out in the inspection notice
- a credit or debit card to pay your application fee. Alternatively, if you have not-for-profit status, a letter from the IAA confirming this.
All documents must be in PDF, PNG or JPG format with a maximum file size of 10 MB. Digital photographs must be in PNG or JPG format.
You can find more detailed information about supervision and supervision arrangements in our Supervision Toolkit.
Note
Before you submit an application, you need to get an authorised person to certify your personal identification and witness any statutory declarations. Our Licensing Toolkit contains additional information about certifying your documents.
Being selected for inspection alongside your application to reapply
If you were eligible for a fast-track renewal application and you let your licence expire rather than renewing it, your application to reapply will be similar to a fast-track renewal application.
If you were required to be inspected and you let your licence expire rather than renewing it, you will be inspected when you reapply.
If you were selected for inspection, you will be issued an inspection notice pursuant to Section 57 of the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007. The inspection notice will set out additional documents you will be required to provide as part of the inspection.
Licence details
You will be required to confirm whether you are reapplying for a provisional, limited or full licence.
If you are reapplying for a limited licence you will be shown the immigration matters or areas you were previously approved to provide advice on before your limited licence expired or was surrendered. You will be required to confirm or update these. If you make changes to these areas, we may conduct a full assessment to ensure you are competent to provide advice in any new areas.
Personal information
You will be asked to confirm or update:
- your full legal name, which will appear on the public register of licensed immigration advisers (the register)
- if applicable, your preferred name, which will appear on the register in brackets.
Contact details
You will be asked to confirm or update:
- business details, including:
- the name of your business or employer
- your business address, which is the main location where you will conduct your business
- your current relationship with the business or employer; for example, if you are a director or an employee
- at least one of your business phone number, direct dial phone number, or mobile phone number, where you can be contacted on
- your email address
- your business website
- your physical address for the service of documents, if it is different from your business address
- your postal address, if it is different from the physical location of your business address.
Note
You must provide the above details for all your immigration advice businesses. For example, if you are a Director of one business and a contractor for another business, you must provide the above details for both businesses.
Only your primary business will appear on the register.
Under section 77(2)(a) of the Act, the purpose of the register is to enable members of the public to know how to contact a licensed immigration adviser and to facilitate the compliance, audit and other supporting and administrative functions of the Registrar. The register must show a business and service address for you.
You may choose to have your postal address, business phone number, direct dial phone number, mobile number, email address or business website shown on the public register of immigration advisers.
Fitness for licensing
You will be required to answer questions relating to your fitness to hold an immigration adviser licence and upload any documentation required.
If you have had a complaint made against you, and the Tribunal has not made a decision on the complaint before you reapply for your licence, you must declare the complaint in the fitness section. We will then carry out a fitness assessment before a decision is made on your application.
Our Licensing Toolkit contains additional information about fitness requirements and checking.
Qualifications
If applicable, you will be asked to indicate which of the approved refresher courses you have completed and when. ‘Completed’ means that you have passed all relevant courses and have received confirmation of your results from Te Pūkenga | Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology.
Photograph
You will be required to upload one passport quality photograph which meets the following criteria:
- be taken within the last 6 months
- a face, head and shoulders shot
- looking directly at the camera
- not wearing a hat, sunglasses or any other accessories that obscures the face
- passport-sized 3:4 – width to height ratio
- in full colour, on a plain light background
This photograph will appear on the register of licensed immigration advisers. We may refuse photographs which are not of adequate quality or are not composed in a way that is suitable for that purpose.
Personal identification
You will be required to upload a certified copy of one of the following:
- passport page (front and/or back) that shows your photograph and personal details
- New Zealand driver licence, both front and back
The document you provide must not be expired.
If you do not have either of the above, use the template Statutory Declaration form to supply an alternative proof of identity as described on the form (such as an overseas driver licence). A person who is authorised to witness a statutory declaration must sign this document.
Statutory Declaration form [PDF, 26 KB]
Supervision arrangement documents
If you are applying for a provisional licence, you are required to have your proposed supervisor(s) and supervision arrangements approved by the Registrar. To enable this, you will be asked to:
- provide the name or licence number of the full licence holder who will act as your supervisor and any full licence holders who will act as your backup supervisor(s)
- upload a completed Form 101A: Supervision Arrangement Application, signed by all parties
- upload a copy of an acceptable supervision agreement, signed by all parties.
Note
Further information about developing a supervision agreement and establishing an acceptable supervision arrangement is available in the IAA’s Supervision Toolkit.
Declaration
You will be required to complete a declaration as part of the application process in the online portal. Please ensure you read the declaration carefully before ticking the declaration checkbox.
Warning
The giving of false information in the application form is an offence under section 66 of the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007 with penalties of imprisonment of up to two years and/or a fine of up to $10,000 and will result in the application for a licence being refused.
Furthermore, under Section 27(1)(b) of the Act, the Registrar must cancel a licence if he or she is satisfied that the licence was granted on the basis of any false or fraudulent representation or declaration, made either orally or in writing.
Application costs
You will pay an application fee and a levy unless you have been approved for not-for-profit status. The fee and levy are the same whether you have been selected for inspection or not.
The IAA only accepts payments in New Zealand dollars. Payments can be made online using Visa or Mastercard.
The amount you pay depends on whether you are ordinarily resident in New Zealand. A person is ordinarily resident in New Zealand if they have spent more than 183 days in New Zealand in the immediately preceding 12 months and is not unlawfully in New Zealand.
| Costs | Ordinarily resident in NZ (including GST) |
Not ordinarily resident in NZ |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $909.78 | $791.11 |
| Levy | $1,129.55 | $982.22 |
| Total | $2,039.33 | $1,773.33 |
You will pay the application fee when you submit your application for a licence. After your application is approved in principle, you will need to login to the IAA online portal to pay the levy.
If you do not pay the levy within 20 working days, the Registrar may refuse your application under section 19(1) of the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007. This refusal will be noted on the register.
All invoices will be emailed to you.
Not-for-profit status
You may be entitled to a fee waiver if you intend to act as an immigration adviser on a not-for-profit basis, or are an employee or volunteer working for an organisation that operates on a not-for-profit basis. You can find more details about this in our Licensing Toolkit.
Assessment of your application
An assessor(s) will review your application to ensure that:
- you are not prohibited from licensing
- all mandatory documents have been provided
- you are fit to hold a licence
- you meet the Immigration Advisers Competency Standards.
The assessor(s) will contact you if they require further information or documents. They may also interview you to obtain further information or clarification during the assessment process.
Once the assessor(s) has finished assessing the application, they will make a recommendation to the Registrar. The Registrar will decide whether your application meets licensing requirements and whether you should be granted a licence.
Grant of licence
If your application is approved, the IAA will inform you and will request you pay the immigration adviser’s levy.
Once you have paid the levy, your licence will be granted. The register will be updated with your details. You will also be able to download a digital licence from the Immigration Advisers Authority online portal.
All licences are valid for 12 months from the date they are granted by the Registrar.
Refusal of licence
If your application is refused, you will be informed in writing. The refusal and your name and details will be listed on the register.
You have the right to appeal the refusal of a licence to the District Court of New Zealand.
Processing times
We aim to process fully complete fast-stream applications to reapply within 15 working days. We aim to process fully complete inspections stream applications to reapply within 25 working days.
If your application is taking longer, we are working hard to process it as soon as possible. If there are any concerns, we will contact you to seek your response.