Live in New Zealand – South Africa

Lane Neave – the first choice for South Africans looking to call New Zealand home.

Lane Neave is a national, full service law firm in New Zealand and we offer specialist immigration lawyers who deliver an expertly managed end-to-end emigration experience for our South African clients looking to successfully move to and live in New Zealand.

We are proud to say that we are the largest and most respected provider of immigration services in New Zealand.  This has been built on a solid platform of successful emigration moves over many years.

We often hear of individuals being concerned that using a specialist immigration lawyer may be prohibitively expensive. The reality is the opposite, working with us will help you avoid delays and will guarantee you get excellent advice at a fair price. We are looking to create a long term relationship for your future life in New Zealand, we don’t look to “clip the ticket” on a one-off instruction.

why you should partner with lane neave for your move

The decision on who will support you and your family in making the move to New Zealand is a big one. In addition to offering highly competitive fees for our services, there are a number of other factors that set us apart from migration agencies and advisors. We have detailed below just a few of the reasons why you should partner with us to assist you in this very important and challenging process.

• We bring experience

We have successfully represented thousands of individuals and families to successfully make the move to New Zealand over the last 20 years. We also run the full gamut when it comes to visas and immigration law.  Our specialist expertise ranges from completing standard visa applications to helping with complicated cases, dealing with medical issues, character issues, appeals and other situations that require complex arguments, so no matter how challenging the process is, we can handle it.

• Expert advice at a fair price

Our fees are fair and reasonable. Lawyers in New Zealand are bound by a set of ethical standards, enforced by the New Zealand Law Society, including how we charge for our help. Compare our prices – you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

• No large up front fees with us

We believe a fair way of working together is for you to pay in instalments as we work through the process. This is so the costs are balanced out across the instruction and the fees reflect the stage of where we’re at.   Of course, this gives us an incentive to avoid delays through the process and ultimately results in a really efficient service for you.  Be aware of service providers who propose charging large amounts upfront.

• We’re a one-stop-shop for legal support

Lane Neave is a full service, national law firm with close to 180 staff. This means we (literally) sit alongside experts in all other areas of law.  Whether you’re looking to set up a business, purchase property, review your employment agreements, create a new will (or anything in-between) we’ll be here to help you out.   Most of our immigration clients become lifelong friends of our firm.  We have a vested interest in delivering value in the first instruction to secure your trust for many more years to come.

• We’ve walked your path and speak your language

Our team includes a number of South Africans who have personally been through the journey and are passionate about helping you to live and work in New Zealand. Some have also used our visa services.  Our international team is fluent in a number of languages, including Afrikaans.

• We help with a network of connections

We can make introductions to the right people (and help you avoid the sharks) to assist with a wide range of services, including (but not limited to) relocation, recruitment, banking, and accountancy/tax. Think of it a bit like a concierge service. It’s also important for you to know that our introductions are not motivated by money – we don’t take referral fees when we connect you with other service providers like advisers do, in fact, we are legally prohibited from doing so. Our only requirement is that other businesses we refer you to provide you with a great service.

• National reach to help you wherever you settle

We have immigration experts in all four Lane Neave offices – Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington and Queenstown. No matter where you settle in New Zealand, we’ll have an office close by with a team who can assist you.  We’re also well versed in working remotely – in fact a number of South African clients we’ve successfully helped have not required a face-to-face meeting.

• We are trusted by the New Zealand Government

The New Zealand Government trusts lawyers to make certified copies of the documents you require during the immigration process – we do this in-house at no extra cost. Lane Neave is also one of a selected number of law firms on the All of Government panel for the delivery of legal services to government organisations in New Zealand.

• The same time zone

Using Lane Neave rather than an advisor in South Africa means we’re in the same time zone as you when you land. More importantly, we’re also in the same time zone as your employer and as Immigration New Zealand who will be processing your application.

• Free assessment to determine your prospects

We know that there’s a range of factors that are taken into consideration when applying for immigration to New Zealand. We will give you a free assessment on your prospects of success. We also provide the option to complete a quick basic assessment or our comprehensive full assessment online, and we won’t look to act for you unless we believe you have a good chance of success.

• Advice that is in your best interests

We are focused on successful residency outcomes for our clients and will give you honest advice up front. Our goal is not to add an expense, but to add value to your migration experience. If you think shifting your house is stressful try shifting countries. Our job is to take care of some of that complexity so you can focus on the other key issues involved with your physical move.

• You’re dealing with real experts

There are plenty of sharks out there who promote themselves as experts. Qualifying as an immigration lawyer requires a substantial amount of training and the New Zealand Law Society ensure we maintain high professional standards. As a result, we have a deep understanding of the complex rules and regulations and are on top of the frequent changes and developments.