Bay of Plenty Polytechnic's Business School has won a tender to deliver a new online immigration certificate - the only course of its type in the country.
All people now wanting to become immigration advisers must study for the Graduate Certificate in Immigration Advice, which can be completed in six monthswith fulltime study.
Over the past two years, the country's 514 immigration advisers have become licensed through years of experience working in that area.
Now, the only way people can enter the profession is via the polytechnic course from February next year, and the Immigration Advisers Authority, part of Department of Labour, is looking to have about 1000 licensed advisers.
The Graduate Certificate, comprising four 15 credit courses, will cover and assess the immigration adviser competency standards and the licensed immigration advisers' code of conduct.
Taught fully online, students may choose to attend face-to-face tutorials in major centres such as Auckland or in other cities where there's demand.
It is expected the certificate will interest existing advisers seeking to upgrade their qualifications.
Dr Alan Hampton, Bay of Plenty Polytechnic's chief executive, said the new courses will build on the recent successful developments of online programmes for the real estate industry and New Zealand's first Diploma in Conveyancing.
