Feeling Lost in Your Immigration Journey?

Both can legally advise you on New Zealand immigration matters. The practical difference is regulatory oversight and scope.

A lawyer is regulated by the New Zealand Law Society and holds legal professional privilege — meaning communications between you and your lawyer are legally protected and cannot be disclosed without your consent.

A licensed immigration adviser is regulated by the Immigration Advisers Authority.

Both can represent you before Immigration New Zealand, but only a lawyer can represent you in court proceedings.

At MyLaw, Michael Yoon is a practising New Zealand lawyer with a current practising certificate, not a licensed adviser — so your communications are privileged and your representation is not limited if your matter escalates.

We quote a single fixed fee for your matter before you commit. That fee covers everything within the agreed scope — advice, document preparation, correspondence with INZ, and follow-up. There’s no hourly billing, no surprise invoices, and no anxiety about what a phone call might cost.

Once you decide to work with us, we send you a letter of engagement setting out the scope, fee, and terms. You can see our standard fee ranges on the Fees & Pricing page.

Usually within one to two business days of signing the engagement letter and paying our fee. If you’ve received a PPI letter or have another time-sensitive deadline, we prioritise same-week engagement. If you need an extension on an INZ deadline while we prepare your response, we handle that request as part of the engagement — you don’t need to contact INZ yourself.

Don’t panic, but don’t ignore it either. A PPI letter is not a decline — it’s INZ telling you they have a concern and giving you a chance to respond before they make a final decision. How you respond will likely determine the outcome.

The most important thing is to read the letter carefully, note the response deadline, and get professional advice before replying. Many applicants respond with documents but no legal submissions, which is often not enough.

We regularly handle PPI responses and can usually turn around a comprehensive response within the deadline. Send us your PPI letter and we’ll take a look and give you our initial feedback.

Yes — declined applications are a significant part of our work. Depending on the visa type and circumstances, your options may include requesting reconsideration (for some temporary visas declined while you’re onshore), appealing to the Immigration and Protection Tribunal (for residence visa declines), making a Section 61 request if you’ve become unlawful, or requesting Ministerial intervention in exceptional circumstances.

The right next step depends on your specific situation, the grounds of decline, and your current visa status. We’ll tell you honestly which options are realistic and which aren’t worth pursuing.

You’ll receive a response within one business day — usually the same day for enquiries received before 2pm. We’ll ask you to briefly describe your situation and attach any relevant documents (such as a PPI letter, decline notice, or current visa).

From there, we’ll assess whether we can help and provide a clear fee quote. If you decide to proceed, we send a letter of engagement, you sign and pay, and we begin work — typically within 48 hours. You’ll have direct access to Michael throughout, not a receptionist or junior staff.

Not always. If your circumstances are clear-cut and you’re comfortable navigating the INZ online system, you may be able to apply yourself.

Where a lawyer adds value is in identifying risks you might not see — ANZSCO code mismatches, employment arrangement red flags, relationship evidence gaps — before INZ raises them as concerns.

The cost of getting professional advice upfront is almost always less than the cost of responding to a PPI letter or rebuilding a declined application.

No — and be cautious of anyone who says they can. Immigration New Zealand has discretion in nearly every visa category, and no representative can control an officer’s decision.

What we can guarantee is that your application will be as strong as it can be: properly structured, fully evidenced, and presented with legal submissions that address potential concerns before they’re raised. We’ll also give you an honest assessment of your prospects before you commit, so you can make an informed decision about whether to proceed.

Our fees vary by matter type and complexity. Standard visa applications, PPI responses, employer accreditation, and residence applications each have different fee ranges. You can see indicative pricing on our Fees & Pricing page. We always confirm the exact fee in writing before you commit, and the quoted fee is fixed — it won’t change unless you ask us to expand the scope of work.

Yes. We handle employer accreditation applications (standard, high-volume, and triangular), Job Check applications (the labour market test), and the AEWV applications for your workers. We also advise on compliance obligations, help with accreditation renewals, and assist if your accreditation has been suspended or is under review. If you’re an accredited employer who has received a compliance concern from INZ, getting legal advice early makes a material difference to the outcome.