Immigration Trust

Immigration Trust, immigration advice for complex cases in New Zealand

Immigration Trust is a New Zealand-based immigration advisory firm that focuses on high-difficulty cases. According to its own presentation, it has more than ten years of results and has handled over a thousand complex cases, which places it, in its description, among the country's most recognised immigration advisory firms. Its team is made up of licensed immigration advisers.

Areas of specialisation

The firm works on all types of problematic immigration situations. Among the services it details are:

• Section 61 requests to regularise the status of people who are unlawfully in New Zealand.
• Unlawful status cases, including overstayers and those who have remained beyond the validity of their visa.
• Appeals to the Immigration and Protection Tribunal (IPT) for declined residence visas, humanitarian grounds and deportation.
• Deportation liability notices (DLN), with the aim of cancelling or suspending them.
• Ministerial intervention requests when no other immigration pathways remain.
• Urgent reconsiderations of declined work visas.
• Responses to PPI and RFI letters, with representation to extend deadlines and rebut immigration objections.
• Visitor and student visas, including urgent PPI cases.
• Medical waivers for applicants with conditions such as HIV, hepatitis B, cancer or autism at an early age.
• Character waivers for drink-driving records, domestic violence or previous visa issues.
• Partnership visas, including long-distance couples, same-sex relationships, new relationships formed after the breakdown of a previous relationship that supported the current visa, transgender partners and cases with previous declines.
• Changing lawyer or adviser, with transition for clients who are not satisfied with their previous representation.

Pre-assessments and visa types

The firm offers a case assessment service in which the client submits documents and explains their situation so that the advisers can review it before the consultation. The assessment catalogue includes, among others, medical waiver, character waiver, Section 61, unlawful status, declined visa, reconsideration, partnership visa, deportation, ministerial intervention, student visa, work visa, Active Investor Plus, appeal to the IPT, PPI case, change of adviser or lawyer, SMC and resident visa, as well as business investor visa assessment.

The website also brings together documentation and guides on New Zealand immigration: INZ forms, fees, processing times, police certificates, visa photographs and guides on work visas, partnership visas and the differences between resident and permanent resident visas. It also publishes content on the Accredited Employer Work Visa, the study visa and its changes after covid, the post-study work visa, the Green List, the interim visa, the migrant exploitation protection work visa and the parent resident visa, among others.

Founder profile and recognition

The firm's founder and chief executive has been a Justice of the Peace for more than fifteen years and has received the Queen's Service Medal (QSM). After a fifteen-year career as a university lecturer, he moved into immigration law. According to the company, New Zealand media regularly interview him as an immigration expert. The firm also presents itself as recognised as the best in Wellington in 2020 and notes that it serves the whole country from Auckland.

Consultation format

Immigration Trust conducts consultations by phone and via Google Meet, so the client can connect from anywhere. The firm states that the consultation fee is fully deductible if the client continues with its services. It has separate appointment channels for clients in New Zealand and abroad, as well as an urgent service.

Location and contact

Phone: 64 09 918 2484