Our fees

Many factors can influence how much immigration lawyers' professional fees might cost. They include things like:

• Complexity of the immigration application
• Urgency of the immigration application
• Time spent basis on managing the immigration matter
• Level of expertise
• Business-related costs

Immigration advisers would take a similar approach in deciding what to charge to their clients. 

Law firms typically follow a time-based billing method. This means that they record actual time spent on individual client files and charge the clients on an hourly basis. The applicable hourly rate is detailed in the engagement letter, which is a mandatory requirement as per the New Zealand Law Society rules. 

The other method is a fixed billing method, which means that the total cost of representing a client on a matter is agreed upon and fixed from the outset. The downside of this method is the associated risk of non-recovery if complex issues arise and the lawyer is unable to recover for the additional time spent.

We have opted for a hybrid approach so that we agree to a fixed amount. If any issues arise, such as Immigration New Zealand sending a PPI letter, we will provide a fixed fee estimate for handling the additional work.

In general, residence visa applications take somewhere between 6 to 24 months from lodgement of the application to the decision made by New Zealand Immigration. We help you from start to end, making sure that you will have the best chance of getting your New Zealand residency.

Our fees are from $3,000 plus GST plus disbursements.

Getting a work visa is an important stepping stone for applying for residence later on. You will need to ensure that you are applying for the correct visa that fits in with your overall strategy. Look for sound immigration advice from specialists in New Zealand immigration law.

Our fees are from $1,000 plus GST plus disbursements.

We assist with other types of New Zealand visa and immigration applications, from visitor visa applications to employer accreditation.

New Zealand employers can streamline the work visa processing for their employees by obtaining accreditation with INZ and getting Job Checks approved and ready to go.

Our fees are from $500 plus GST plus disbursements.

Cases involving complex circumstances with added time pressure, such as a Deportation Liability Notice, an appeal to the Immigration and Protection Tribunal (IPT), or claiming refugee status, will require extra focus and attention. 

You will most definitely need to seek expert legal advice. Please contact us for an initial consultation. 

• Our fees are indicative only for ordinary onshore transactions.
• In most cases fees are payable in instalments, with the first instalment being payable at the time of engagement before we commence our work.
• Our fees are exclusive of GST (Goods and Services Tax), relevant Immigration NZ application fees, and other disbursements. Other disbursements include medical examination costs, office administrative costs, postage & courier, advertising, translation, etc.
• If you have a complex immigration, needing medical waiver and/or character waiver, or in the event matters become complicated which requires us to spend more time than usual, fees may be charged on a time and attendance basis in addition to the indicative fees. We will discuss this with you should this situation arise.
• We reserve the right to change our fees from time to time without notice.
• Our fees are subject to our standard terms of engagement.