21st Immigration Law Conference 2025 – Days 1 and 2 (On Demand)

As New Zealand’s leading Immigration Law conference, attendees will benefit from hearing from industry experts working in both practice and government

Day 1

Immigration challenges and opportunities in the construction industry

Panel discussion with industry representatives around immediate and future skills challenges in the construction industry and the opportunities for immigration settings and immigration professionals to support a thriving construction sector for Aotearoa New Zealand.
Facilitated by Helen Davidson, the Chief Executive of the Association of Consulting and Engineering

Courts Update

Decisions of the superior Courts can cast a significant influence, sometimes indirectly, over the day-to-day practice of immigration professionals. Simon Laurent will lead attendees through a selection of the salient cases. A particular focus will be upon core principles uncovered or affirmed by judicial decision making, which can then be applied when developing solutions for one’s clients.
Simon Laurent, Simon Laurent Law

Growing Auckland - what does a fast-growing city need?

• Demands on infrastructure
• Government support to local bodies
• Employment - filling vital jobs
• Housing
• Diversity of city - positive aspects

Richard Hills, Chair, Policy and Planning Committee

Best practice for s61 applications

This session will cover both the legislation, the delegation that Senior Immigration Officers have when considering requests made under s61 from customers, how assessments are generally undertaken, common scenarios and issues, and best practice advice for applicants when submitting these requests and the evidence beneficial for clients.
Henry Van Wyk, and Emma McFarlane, MBIE

Managing risk and constructing the ‘quality’ migrant in Aotearoa New Zealand

Since the late 20th Century, Aotearoa New Zealand has undertaken significant shifts in immigration policy, from settlement-oriented schemes that were often racially exclusive towards human capital modes of selection that now prioritise managing temporary migration. This presentation examines this shift through a focus on the political rationalities that have underpinned migration policy change and justified growing conditionality and precarity in migrant lives. Particular emphasis is placed on the ways in which notions of ‘risk’ and ‘quality’ have shaped migration policymaking, legitimising unequal socio-legal conditions for migrants, labour exploitation and authoritarian modes of market governance.
Professor Francis Collins, School of Social Sciences, University of Auckland

The Active Investor Plus (AIP) visa programme

Learn about the progress and delivery of New Zealand’s new investor migrant programme, including investor motivations, market insights, and how the government works in partnership with the private sector to make the AIP programme a world leader.
Matt Hoskins, New Zealand Trade & Enterprise

Active Investor Plus (AIP) - Visa Application Workshop

Hear from two experienced practitioners on the nuts and bolts of the AIP visa and the programme and how investors deliver significant impact for New Zealand. This session will work through an actual visa application process, providing a practical hands on overview of the visa programme.

Ben Hansard, Malcolm Pacific and Matt Hoskins, New Zealand Trade & Enterprise

Deportation Workshop

This session will cover the following key areas:

• Infringements
• Compliance approach and priorities
• Investigations cases and themes
• Detention
• Voluntary departures

Steve Watson, General Manager Immigration Compliance and Investigations MBIE

The Immigration and Protection Tribunal: Update and trends

This presentation will look at current trends within the IPT’s caseload; touch on recently updated practice notes and how best to focus your submissions, including considerations of AI; and draw attention to some recent cases of notes across the Tribunal’s different jurisdictions.
Larissa Wakim

INZ Policy Update

An update on immigration policy developments and announcements over the last year.
Siân Roguski, and Vanessa Jones, MBIE

Employment Law

Employment and immigration often overlap. We often look at the immigration implications but this session will focus on employment law issues that can arise when dealing with immigration matters. This will include things to look out for when navigating employment matter where there are immigration issues involved and how to avoid problems for clients and employers.
Shi Sheng Cai (Shoosh), and Kate Ashcroft, Ashcroft Mitchell McGregor

Day 2

Thematic and systemic issues faced by employers with immigration settings and policies

New Zealand employers are facing an ongoing theme of difficulty in planning and managing their workforce and thereby their productivity, due to ever-changing government immigration policy and law. These changes often appear to reverse or change direction with little to no warning. This seems to have been particular the case over the last five years, and has impacted most industry sectors. Nicola will speak to some of those law and policy changes, and how employers have attempted to navigate them.
Employers have also been contending with ongoing systematic issues, such as the transition to a new online visa application system and the inevitable IT hiccups that accompanied this, and also other changes to processing within INZ and its providers. Nicola will also review some of these roadblocks, the impacts they have had, and how employers have and might continue to manage or mitigate these issues.
Nicola Tiffen, Duncan Cotterill

INZ Overview

Alison McDonald will give a broad overview of Immigration New Zealand’s current state of play regarding visa processing and other operational matters and discuss opportunities for improvement in the coming years including INZ’s recently approved 7-year programme requiring major organisational and technological transformation.
Allison McDonald, MBIE

Navigating Employer Compliance Issues

Unpacking the latest developments in employer compliance. This session will explore migrant exploitation allegations from an employer’s perspective, Worker Protection (Migrant and Other Employees) Act 2023 infringement notices and relevant case studies, as well as common pitfalls and trends that employers must navigate under the Accredited Employer Work Visa Scheme - including accreditation applications following infringement notices.
Lauren Qui, Stay Legal

Ombudsman Complaints Process

A review of the process for complaints to the Ombudsman's Office.
Chloe Longdin-Prisk, Assistant Ombudsman, Complaints Resolution, Rebecca Chivers, Senior Investigator, and Jessie Scott, The Office of the Ombudsman

Mastering Partnership Applications

In this session, Katy will share her thoughts on taking a Partnership application from average to stellar - finding the evidential "sweet spot" (not too little, not too much).
Katy will also cover some facets, such as dealing with ineligible supporting partners and weighing temporary separation. The aim: to give you the confidence to take on some of the more challenging cases!
Katy Armstrong

Judicial Review in the Immigration/Refugee Context

A lively discussion on the processes and procedures related to judicial review in the immigration/refugee context, with useful insights and tips for practitioners and advisors.
Pooja Sundar, Dalley Sundar and Jacob Parry, Mills Lane

Minister’s Keynote Address Hon. Erica Stanford, Minister of Immigration

ORIGINAL BROADCAST DATE

13 and 14 August 2025

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Day 1

• Learn how immigration policy can support a thriving construction sector in Aotearoa
• Understand how recent court rulings that influence immigration practice and client strategy
• An insight Auckland’s needs in housing, infrastructure, employment, and diversity
• Attendees will learn how to effectively prepare and submit s61 requests, including understanding legislative context and evidentiary requirements.
• Gain an overview of how the shifts in political rationalities and how ideas of ‘risk’ and ‘quality’ have shaped NZ immigration policy and migrant experiences.
• Understand the structure, goals, and market dynamics of New Zealand’s investor visa programme.
• Gain practical knowledge of the AIP visa application process through a hands-on case walkthrough.
• Learn about key aspects of deportation including compliance priorities, investigation themes, and voluntary departure processes.
• Explore current trends, practice note updates, and strategic submission approaches across IPT jurisdictions.
• An understanding of recent immigration policy changes and their implications for practice.
• Understand how employment law intersects with immigration issues and how to navigate legal risks for clients and employers.

Day 2

• Explore how shifting immigration policies and systemic challenges affect workforce planning and employer compliance.
• Gain a broad understanding of INZ’s operational landscape and future transformation plans.
• Learn how to manage employer obligations under the AEWV scheme, including handling infringement notices and exploitation claims.
• Understand the steps and considerations involved in making complaints to the Ombudsman’s Office.
• Learn strategies for strengthening partnership visa applications, including handling complex eligibility and evidence issues.
• Gain a deeper understanding of judicial review procedures and practical considerations in immigration and refugee cases.
• Hear the Minister’s perspective on immigration priorities, policy direction, and sector engagement.

SUITED TO

Immigration Lawyers, Licensed Immigration Advisers, and professionals advising Employers engaging with migrant workers.