Guide to Avoiding Scams in New Zealand
Immigration scams are a real threat in New Zealand. Here are the key things to watch for with job offers, visa promises, or choosing an adviser.
Newcomers to New Zealand can easily become targets for scammers: fake job offers, unlicensed advisers, fraudulent websites. This page walks through the most common types of scams and how to protect yourself. If you're not sure whether something official is real, always compare it against the official sources on the Visa Types and Official Processes page.
Visa Types & Official Processes 📤 Share on WhatsApp🚩 Job Listing and Employer Scams⌄
Asking for a fee or commission for a job is illegal
In New Zealand, employers cannot legally charge you a fee, commission, or 'placement charge' in exchange for a job offer. If someone asks for this, you're most likely dealing with a scammer.
The "I have connections, I'll speed up your application" trap
Immigration New Zealand does not give any person or agency priority-processing authority. Anyone who says "I have a contact inside" or "I know the system, I'll fast-track your visa" is either lying or scamming you.
Be careful with 'package' offers that include accommodation
Some scammers offer job + accommodation packages and then charge excessive accommodation fees. An employer can provide accommodation, but the cost must not exceed market rate and any deduction from your pay must be transparent. Don't accept suspicious offers without verifying them.
🚩 Adviser and Agent Scams⌄
Stay away from an adviser who asks you to lie
Working with an immigration adviser or agent who asks you to give false information on your application, or to falsify documents, carries serious legal consequences for both you and them. This is illegal.
Anyone who guarantees you residence
No adviser or agent can guarantee you residence. Anyone who makes this promise is acting in bad faith. If you pay them, you're likely to lose your money.
Using an adviser isn't mandatory, but if you do, make sure they're licensed
You can apply for your visa yourself. If you want help, always choose a Licensed Immigration Adviser (LIA) or a qualified lawyer in New Zealand. You can verify their licence through the Immigration Advisers Authority (IAA).
Go to official page ↗🚩 Fake Websites and Payment Scams⌄
What is the official Immigration NZ address?
Every official Immigration New Zealand page ends in ".immigration.govt.nz". Sites using other domains may be fake. Pay attention to email addresses too.
A request for bank transfer payment is never official
Being asked to transfer money to a bank account for a visa application, medical exam, or any official process is never a legitimate procedure. Official payments are only made through Immigration NZ's own system by credit/debit card, or through approved clinics.
✅ Know Your Rights, Apply Directly⌄
Migrants have the same rights as local workers
Migrants working in New Zealand on a work visa have the same rights as New Zealand workers when it comes to minimum wage, paid annual leave, sick leave, and other basic employment rights. Nobody can take these rights away from you.
If you suspect something, go straight to the authorities
If you think you've been scammed or have encountered something suspicious, contact Immigration New Zealand directly, or report it at consumerprotection.govt.nz/scams.
Go to official page ↗Got a question?
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