Immigration Advisers Authority

What Immigration Advisers Authority does

The Immigration Advisers Authority (IAA) is a New Zealand government regulatory authority established under the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007 and operating as a body within the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). Its statutory remit is to maintain a public register of licensed immigration advisers, enforce a Code of Conduct, conduct inspections, manage complaints, and refer disciplinary matters to the Immigration Advisers Complaints and Disciplinary Tribunal, which can cancel or suspend licences, impose fines, and order compensation. The IAA also sets continuing professional development (CPD) requirements — including a mandatory annual webinar and 20 hours of CPD — and publishes enforcement outcomes and annual statistics.

The IAA's operating technology is built on MBIE Registers infrastructure and delivered through two principal products: an authenticated IAA Online Portal (which advisers access via RealMe identity verification to apply, renew, update records, and submit CPD plans) and a public-facing Register search tool. Supporting this core platform is a suite of toolkits covering licensing, supervision, the Code of Conduct, CPD, and ethics, along with factsheets targeting employers, recruiters, education providers, education agents, travel agents, and POEA agencies. Webinar delivery and CPD content distribution occur across Zoom, YouTube, and Microsoft Teams, and a bi-monthly adviser newsletter operates as the principal communication channel.

The IAA's revenue is generated through licensing fees and annual levies on licensed advisers (per Section 27 of the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007), but specific fee levels and total revenue are not publicly disclosed. The entity has 1–10 employees, is headquartered in Auckland at PO Box 6222, Victoria Street West, and serves two principal constituencies: migrants seeking immigration advice (who use the public register to verify advisers and the complaints mechanism to seek redress) and licensed immigration advisers (who must comply with licensing, supervision, and CPD obligations). Recent notable actions include a major February 2025 portal upgrade and sustained Tribunal enforcement activity through 2025.

Name

Immigration Advisers Authority

Legal name

Immigration Advisers Authority

Website

https://iaa.govt.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Immigration Advisers Authority is the New Zealand government body that licenses and regulates immigration advisers under the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007, maintaining a public register, enforcing a Code of Conduct, and operating a Complaints and Disciplinary Tribunal to protect migrants seeking immigration advice.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Licensing & Regulatory Services

NAICS

Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (92615), National Security and International Affairs (928)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111), International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Immigration, Citizenship & Border Administration (Civil) (BPAIAAAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Immigration Legal Advisory & Representation (Student Visas) (EDAIADAB), Immigration Law (BPAHAAAL)

Keywords

• Immigration adviser licensing
• Professional licensing regulation
• Statutory regulatory authority
• Disciplinary tribunal services
• Public registers search

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Licensing fees and levies: The Immigration Advisers Authority operates as a government regulatory body under the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. Revenue is generated through licensing fees and annual levies paid by licensed immigration advisers. Section 27(1) of the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007 provides grounds for licence cancellation including failure to pay application fees or levies that have been dishonoured.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Immigration Advisers Authority (IAA) is the New Zealand statutory body that licenses and regulates immigration advisers under the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007. It maintains a public register of licensed advisers, enforces the Code of Conduct, manages complaints via the Immigration Advisers Complaints and Disciplinary Tribunal, and delivers continuing professional development (CPD) and supervision programs. Core deliverables include an online licensing portal (for advisers), a public adviser search register (for migrants), and disciplinary oversight.

Product overview

The Immigration Advisers Authority operates as a regulatory body for New Zealand immigration advisers, offering a suite of integrated digital services through the IAA Online Portal. The core offering consists of the authenticated adviser portal (for licence management and renewals) and the Public Register (for migrants to find licensed advisers), supported by multiple toolkits covering licensing, supervision, code of conduct, continuing professional development, and ethics. The system is built on MBIE Registers infrastructure and uses RealMe® authentication. Advisers can access online services, manage their licence portfolio, submit applications, make payments via credit/debit card, and complete mandatory CPD activities including attending IAA-hosted webinars via Zoom, YouTube, and Microsoft Teams.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IAA Online Portal An authenticated online portal hosted on MBIE Registers infrastructure where licensed immigration advisers can apply for, renew, and manage their licences, update records, submit CPD plans, and pay licensing fees via credit/debit card. Access requires RealMe® authentication. The portal is for licensed advisers and provisional licence holders in New Zealand.
• Public Register of Licensed Immigration Advisers A public-facing search tool that enables migrants and the public to find and verify licensed immigration advisers in New Zealand by name or registration details. Located at app.mbieregisters.govt.nz, it supports migrant protection from unqualified advisers.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE)coreOthersThe IAA operates as a body under the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). The IAA website displays MBIE branding and the MBIE transparency statement applies to IAA. MBIE websites have security measures in place including ongoing monitoring and activity logging.
• Immigration New Zealand (INZ)coreOthersThe IAA refers migrants to Immigration New Zealand for visa matters. INZ is a sister agency under MBIE that processes visa applications. The IAA and INZ work together on policy and compliance matters, including updates on changes to immigration settings.
• RealMecoreTechnology or IntegrationRealMe is the New Zealand government identity verification service used by the IAA for adviser authentication on the online portal. Advisers must create a RealMe account to access IAA online services for licence applications, renewals, and record management.
• Immigration Advisers Complaints and Disciplinary TribunalcoreOthersThe Tribunal is the disciplinary body that hears complaints about licensed immigration advisers referred by the IAA. The Tribunal can cancel or suspend licences, impose fines, and order compensation. Recent decisions show the Tribunal has issued multiple sanctions against advisers.
• Toi Ohomai Institute of TechnologyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerToi Ohomai offers the LAWS7015 paper which the Tribunal has ordered advisers to complete as part of sanctions. They also conducted a survey on supervision requirements and contribute to the Graduate Diploma in New Zealand Immigration Advice (GDNZIA) qualification.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC): Canadian federal regulator of immigration and citizenship consultants. Comparable mandate covering licensing, Code of Conduct, complaints, and disciplinary hearings for immigration advisers.
• Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA): Australian federal regulator that registers and regulates migration agents, structurally analogous to the IAA. Comparable in mandate (licensing, Code of Conduct, complaints, disciplinary action) and serves the closely linked AU-NZ migration corridor.
• Immigration Advisers Regulatory Authority (South Africa): South African regulatory body for immigration advisers, established under similar statutory framework. Comparable function in licensing and enforcing conduct standards for immigration practitioners.
• Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC): UK regulator of immigration advisers, operating a similar licensing, fitness, and complaints regime. Direct functional peer to the IAA in regulating immigration advice providers.

Broad incumbents

• Immigration New Zealand (INZ): Sister agency under MBIE responsible for visa processing and immigration policy. Related mandate (immigration) but different scope (visa administration vs adviser regulation); they are explicitly linked as referral partners.
• Real Estate Authority (REA): New Zealand regulator of real estate agents with similar licensing, complaints, and disciplinary functions. Useful peer for comparing NZ occupation-specific licensing regimes.
• Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE): Parent government agency under which the IAA operates. Comparable as a large public-sector entity administering business and immigration-related policy, but with broader mandate than IAA.
• Financial Markets Authority (FMA): New Zealand regulator of financial markets and securities providers. Comparable as a NZ statutory licensing and conduct regulator with public register, CPD, and disciplinary authority.

Others

• Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology: Education partner of the IAA delivering the GDNZIA qualification and the LAWS7015 paper referenced in Tribunal sanctions. Adjacent rather than competitive, but materially linked through adviser training pipeline.
• RealMe (Department of Internal Affairs): New Zealand government's identity verification service used by the IAA for adviser portal login. Enabling infrastructure provider rather than competitor, but tightly integrated into IAA operations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/immigration-advisers-authority

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Immigration Advisers Authority