Overstayers should have faith in professional immigration advice

In the wake of reports about the sale of Aotearoa Citizenship Certificates, and the conviction of Pastor Lutelu Salanoa in West Auckland for giving unlicensed immigration advice, the New Zealand Association for Migration and Investment (NZAMI) wishes to reassure migrants that they can get the right help from qualified experts.

NZAMI is the leading industry body representing licensed immigration advisers, lawyers and other migration practitioners.

Simon Laurent, NZAMI Chairman, says the association is concerned that overstayers continue to listen to false promises to get them a visa or solve their problem.

“The options available to people unlawfully in New Zealand are often limited,” Mr Laurent says. “A professional adviser can tell them what they could do even after a brief meeting and some advisers offer free first consultations. It might mean going offshore for a while in order to apply again for a visa, but in the long term this is far better than throwing money away on bad advice and outright deception."

Overstayers may also make contact with Immigration New Zealand to resolve their situation and avoid being arrested and deported while they sort out what they should do. However, Mr Laurent suggests that this is best done through a professional representative so that the process can be securely managed.

Licensed advisers are listed on the Immigration Advisers Authority website at www.iaa.govt.nz. NZAMI members can be searched by specialty and languages spoken at www.nzami.org.nz.

ENDS

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