22nd Immigration Law Conference 2026

CCH Learning is proud to present the two‑day 22nd Annual Immigration Law Conference.

Date: Wednesday 29 – Thursday 30 July 2026
Time: 8:30am – 5:30pm 
Venue: Grand Millennium Hotel, Auckland

As New Zealand’s leading Immigration Law conference, this event brings together industry experts from both practice and government to share insights, updates, and practical guidance. Now in its 22nd year, and with two full days of programming, attendees can look forward to in‑depth sessions and exceptional networking opportunities unique to this event.

Immigration Lawyers, Licensed Immigration Advisers, as well as professionals advising Employers engaging with migrant workers, will benefit from attending the conference.

Participants may choose to attend both days or individual days, with options to join in‑person or online via Zoom.

Chair – Stewart Dalley, Partner, Dalley Sundar

Day 1

Minister keynote address - Hon. Erica Stanford, Minister of Immigration

Courts Update
Decisions of New Zealand’s courts continue to influence the daily practice of immigration professionals in important and sometimes unexpected ways. In this session, Richard McLeod will lead attendees through a selection of recent cases from our courts, drawing out the core principles arising from judicial decision-making and examining their practical application in their clients’ cases.
Richard McLeod, Partner, McLeod & Associates

INZ Overview 
The newly appointed Deputy Secretary will give a broad overview of Immigration New Zealand’s current state of play regarding visa processing and other operational matters.
INZ - TBC

Medico-legal assessments in immigration and refugee cases
What clinicians and psychologists look for in immigration and refugee matters, and how representatives can best prepare instructions, evidence, and client narratives to support robust, credible assessments.
Dr John Jaques – Consultant Psychiatrist, Auckland 

Deportation of Resident Visa Holders
A practical session examining the statutory grounds for deportation, procedural steps, and recent trends, with guidance on advising resident clients facing criminality, character, or compliance concerns.
Pooja Sundar, Partner, Dalley Sundar 

Student Visas – 2026 Update: When Policy Doesn’t Predict Outcomes
A practical overview of current settings, work rights, and compliance — and the real-world factors influencing decision-making beyond the written instructions.
Arunima Dhingra, CEO & Senior Licensed Immigration Adviser, Aims Global 

Parent visa options – pros and cons of different options
Providing a practical, comparative overview of New Zealand’s current Parent Visa pathways, this session is designed to help practitioners clearly advise clients navigating an often complex and high stakes area of residence policy.

The presenter will examine the key parent visa options, including capped and quota based categories, temporary pathways, and long term visitor options, and explore how each operates in practice. Focus will be given to eligibility criteria, sponsorship requirements, financial thresholds, processing realities, and long term settlement outcomes for both parents and sponsors.
INZ TBC 

Employer accreditation and AEWV visa: risk exposure and compliance failures
Rachael Mason, Partner, Lane Neave 

The Immigration and Protection Tribunal: Update and trends 
Looking at current trends within the IPT’s caseload; this session will highlight how best to focus your submissions (including the pitfalls of using AI) and will draw attention to some recent cases of note from the Tribunal.
Judge Martin Treadwell, District Court Judge and Chair of the Immigration and Protection Tribunal in New Zealand 

INZ Policy Update 
An update on immigration policy developments and announcements over the last year.
Siân Roguski , Manager, Immigration Policy, MBIE

Day 2

Keynote Immigration Policy Panel
A moderated discussion with Government and Opposition spokespersons examining current immigration policy settings and the key issues shaping the upcoming election campaign.
Panellists:
Associate Minister for Immigration Hon. Casey Costello, (NZ First)
Hon. Phil Twyford (Labour)
Ricardo Menendez March (Green Party)
Moderator: Stewart Dalley, Partner, Dalley Sundar 

Best Practices for obtaining files and presenting Evidence on appeal
Part one Privacy and OIA request:

• Why and when should you request the file-Examples
• What you can get / Withholding grounds / OIA: Organisational charts
• New classes of information (teams etc)
• Other sources of information
• Escalation when INZ withhold

Part two IPT Appeals use of information:

• Overview
• The changed landscape s154
• Files the IPT may or may not obtain
• Relevance of immigration history
• Psychological and other evidence
• Examples

Richard Small, Director, Pacific Legal Ltd 

Compliance – employer compliance
Providing an overview of ICI’s interaction with employers to assist their compliance. This session will include an update on immigration infringements, insights from recent investigations and prosecutions as well as the work of our compliance teams.
Steve Watson, General Manager of Immigration Compliance and Investigations (ICI).

Family and Gender in Work and Partnership Visa Policies
An evidence based discussion of current research on family and gender in relation to labour and partnership migration, exploring how policy settings shape the gendered makeup of work visas, partnership visas and the prospects for family unification. The presentation also highlights the intersection of nationality and gender in the makeup of people on work and partnership visas, raising questions about the implications for the different social and legal positions of migrants coming to Aotearoa New Zealand.
Prof. Francis L. Collins, Director, NIDE, University of Auckland; Rachel Simon-Kumar, Population Health, University of Auckland and Natalia Boven, University of Auckland

New Zealand’s Golden Visa: One Year On
The Active Investor Plus (AIP) Resident Visa has been operating under its refreshed settings for over a year, this session will take stock of how the regime is working in practice, what we are seeing from INZ, and where investor appetite is tracking since the April 2025 reforms.

We will unpack key changes to acceptable investments, including the introduction of the Growth and Balanced categories, the broader inclusion of bonds and qualifying property development, and INZ’s sharpened focus on genuinely active and value adding capital.

The session will also compare AIP versus the Business Investor Visa (BIV)—highlighting the strategic differences between a passive to active investment residence pathway and a hands on, business led route to residence, and which profile of investor each visa is now best suited to under current policy settings.
Marcus Beveridge, Managing Director, Queen City Law NZ Limited

Job Change Flexibility - Accreditation Expectations & Employer Risk
Discussing key employment law issues that frequently arise in immigration contexts, focusing on minimum code standards, wage record compliance, and annual holidays. The session will also explore the relational and practical aspects of managing employment matters involving migrant workers. In addition to the black and white statutory requirements, addressing the good faith obligations that underpin effective and lawful employer conduct. Overall, the presentation aims to equip practitioners with a clearer understanding of both compliance risks, and the human dynamics present when employment and immigration issues intersect.
Angus Drumm, Barrister to Simon Mitchell KC, Hobson Chambers

The SMC Reboot 2026: Levelling Up: Restoring Balance to Skilled Residence
For the past three years, the Skilled Migrant Category has favoured academic pathways, sidelining the trades and experienced professionals who underpin New Zealand’s economy. The new overhaul rebalances the system, restoring practical skill as a genuine pathway to residence.
With greater complexity and rising government fees, however, practitioner risk has never been higher. This session provides a clear roadmap through the new 6 point framework—helping you achieve outcomes while avoiding costly missteps.
This session will cover:

• What’s changed: How one Skilled Migrant Category became three, including the new Trades & Technicians and Skilled Experience pathways, points system updates, and changes common across all categories.
• Key complexities and pitfalls: ANZSCO job coding challenges (including AEWV legacy issues), proving overseas work experience, remuneration thresholds and variable hours, excluded roles, and navigating the Red and Amber Lists.
• Strategic future proofing: Planning ahead to secure and protect residence pathways for clients.
• Case studies: Practical examples illustrating how the new pathways work, including more challenging scenarios.

Katy Armstrong, Principal, IntoNZ

* Please note that sessions, speakers, and timings may be subject to change 

Download PDF of the Programme

 Accomodation at the Grand Millennium

If you require accommodation at the Grand Millennium, we are pleased to be offer delegates a conference rate room rate.
Click here for the Conference rate.
Event Name: Wolters Kluwer Immigration Conference
Promo Code: WKIC26
Enter the Promo Code, select your room and proceed to check out.
The Conference Rate is available for stays any days from 28th July to 1st August 2026.