News

Media enquiries

• Maheesha Kottegoda
  Senior Communications Adviser
  (09) 925 3238
  info@iaa.govt.nz
• Media Information

Media Releases

• Media Release Archive

Newsletters

• Current newsletter
• Newsletter Archive
• Newsletter non-delivery

Survey of New Zealand visa and permit applicants who have used an immigration adviser

Summary of Key Points

Overall Satisfaction

• A total of 63 percent of clients were satisfied with the overall quality of service they received. 

• Satisfaction is much higher among clients who used a licensed (72%) or exempt (77%) adviser, compared to unlicensed (57%).

• Clients had a high expectation of the service they were going to receive, however, 19 percent were disappointed with the service they actually received.

• Expectations are similar among clients using a licensed and unlicensed adviser.  However, looking back, a much lower proportion of clients using an unlicensed adviser felt the service they received was better than they expected (57% versus 68% of clients using a licensed adviser).

• Seventy percent of all clients surveyed said they would recommend their adviser.  Recommendation among clients using an unlicensed adviser was much lower at 65 percent than among clients using a licensed adviser (79%).

Adviser Performance

• Adviser performance is rated moderately to highly on most areas measured. 

• However, total results are skewed downwards by the much lower ratings for unlicensed advisers (on average 12% to 13% lower than for licensed).

• Unlicensed advisers fall behind licensed adviser ratings most particularly for all aspects relating to written agreements and knowledge of immigration policy and procedures.

• The key priorities for improvement as identified in this research (being those which have the greatest impact on clients’ overall satisfaction and areas where performance is currently only average or below average) for both licensed and unlicensed relate to providing clear, ongoing and concise information, timely delivery of services and providing services for a reasonable cost.

• Suggested service improvements reinforce that staying in close communication throughout the application process is a critical aspect of the service delivered. 
• Receiving a copy of the immigration advisers’ code of conduct and a written agreement have a positive impact on client satisfaction, but currently only 40 percent of clients using a licensed adviser receive the code and 61 percent a written agreement (40% of clients using an unlicensed adviser).

Previous section