How do I know which New Zealand immigration advisers I can trust?
There are many stories of people being swindled by unscrupulous New Zealand immigration advisers.
Often people are left without savings in their bank accounts. Even worse – deported, because the visa turned out be fake!
The best way to make sure that the person you are dealing with is the real deal, is to check that they are licensed by the Immigration Advisers Authority (IAA), or exempted to give advice. If you cannot find the ‘agent’ on here, walk away and do not deal with them.
There are other ways to tell too. Usually the signs come in the form of false promises or, plain and simple, outright lies.
Here is a list of things that unscrupulous operators might say to you:
I can guarantee that you will get a visa to New Zealand.
This is false. No-one can guarantee you will get a visa. Only authorised officers can give you a visa and only when you have met all the visa requirements.
Pay now to register for the migration program.
This is not how things work. You pay your visa application charge when you lodge your application.
Please note: Advisers are allowed to charge for their services, but the charges must be fair and reasonable in the circumstances. You may wish to speak to several advisers before signing on the dotted line with one, as no two advisers will offer the same experience and level service, which also influences fees.
This is a ‘once in a lifetime opportunity’ or your ‘only’ chance to travel or migrate to New Zealand.
It might be hard to believe, but some fraudulent agents actually call people to offer them visas. It’s then framed as an opportunity not to be missed. All to get money out of you!
IAA licensed agents will never call you first to offer you migration ‘opportunities’. This is a client relationship that always start with the client, i.e. you, contacting the agent.
Only I can pay the charges, give me your money and I will pay the charges for you.
False again. You can pay your own visa application charge. However, you might still choose to let your migration adviser do it for you – but only if you are sure you are dealing with a licensed adviser!
I have a special relationship with INZ.
No-one has a ‘special relationship’ with Immigration New Zealand (INZ). INZ treats all visa applications in a fair and impartial way.
I am a skilled migration service provider/New Zealand government registered/department registered.
The only New Zealand immigration advisers you should deal with, are IAA licensed immigration advisers. Do not take any adviser on their word only! Ask to see an IAA license number.
Don’t worry, INZ is still processing your visa.
Do not just accept this. Ask for a copy of the confirmation letter to ensure that your application was submitted.
Keep in mind though that some applications do take longer than others, so there will be times that your immigration agent won’t have any feedback for you.
Want to know if you can trust our New Zealand immigration advisers?
We have two licensed immigration advisors for New Zealand – Maike Versfeld and Katrin Maja O’Flynn. You can get to know them better on our website or go straight their profiles on the IAA website:
Please feel free to contact us to discuss your immigration journey!
