by Sahar Shamia, Senior Solicitor | Apr 30, 2026 | Blog |
New Zealand employers hiring migrant workers under the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) scheme need to be increasingly vigilant. Recent trends show that Immigration New Zealand (INZ) is taking a stricter approach to compliance, with even minor or unintentional... 
by James Turner, Senior Solicitor | Apr 22, 2026 | Blog |
Frequently it is necessary to ‘make a commitment to New Zealand’ in some way or spend a minimum period of time in New Zealand, in order to meet the requirements of some Visa types. 1. Applications for Permanent Residence A context in which... by Simon Laurent, Lawyer | Apr 9, 2026 | Blog |
I frequently get asked to write expert opinions for the NZ Courts about how a criminal conviction will harm someone’s visa status and their future prospects of staying in the country. Criminal lawyers ask me to do these for their clients, in the hope that the... 
by James Turner, Senior Solicitor | Mar 25, 2026 | Blog |
Immigration matters with little or no chance of success Sometimes we are approached by a client regarding an immigration matter, but we tell the client their matter has little or no chance of success. At Laurent Law we will tell a client if we believe this. This is... by Sahar Shamia, Senior Solicitor | Mar 11, 2026 | Blog |
The New Zealand Government has released further details about upcoming changes to the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC). These changes, first announced in September 2025, will introduce two new pathways to residence and update several key requirements. The new settings... by Simon Laurent, Lawyer | Feb 25, 2026 | Blog |
In any application for a NZ Resident Visa, everyone has to follow the rules. The visa applicant has to do it. So do visa officers. They are not allowed to make exceptions outside of Government Residence Instructions. While this creates obstacles to getting an...