About Ankur

Ankur Sabharwal

Licensed Immigration Adviser | Founder, Visa Matters, Auckland

IAA Licence No. 201700093 | Member, NZ Association for Migration and Investment (NZAMI)

Ankur Sabharwal is the founder and principal adviser at Visa Matters, an Auckland-based New Zealand immigration consultancy. He holds a full New Zealand immigration adviser licence, which means he is qualified to provide advice on all immigration matters without restriction.

Ankur has more than nine years of practice and has dealt with clients from over 50 countries including India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany and Japan. Ankur advises across many areas of New Zealand immigration law, including work visas, resident visas, student visas, visitor visas, business visas, family and partnership visas, employer accreditation, job checks and the most complex and high-risk cases that other advisers may decline to take on.

Ankur is known for his direct, plain-English approach. He does not tell clients what they want to hear, and he does not take on matters he does not believe in. Every client receives an honest assessment of their situation, a clear explanation of the risks, and a strategy built specifically around their circumstances.

Qualifications and
Credentials

Full IAA licence: qualified to advise on all New Zealand immigration matters
Graduate Diploma in New Zealand Immigration Advice, Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology
Top-performing graduate and the only immigration adviser profiled on Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology’s website for approximately seven years, from mid-2019 to mid-2026.
Qualifications in Business, Marketing and Hospitality Management from New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
Advised clients from more than 50 countries across a wide range of New Zealand immigration matters.
Experience with complex immigration matters including visa declines, character issues, medical waivers, section 61 requests, special direction requests and Immigration and Protection Tribunal appeals.
Member, NZ Association for Migration and Investment (NZAMI)

Areas of Practice

Ankur advises clients across the full range of New Zealand visa categories. While he works across nearly all areas of New Zealand immigration law, a significant part of his practice involves complex, high-risk and high-stakes immigration matters. This is where his experience and judgement are often most valuable, particularly where a visa has been declined or concerns have been raised by Immigration New Zealand.

Residence, Skilled Migration, and Investment

Skilled Residence Pathways
Business and Investment Visas
Partnership-Based Residence and Work Visas

Employer Immigration

Employer Accreditation
Job Check
Post Accreditation Compliance Checks
Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV)

Complex and Critical Cases

PPI Letter Responses
Deportation Liability Notices
Section 61 Requests
Special Directions and Ministerial Interventions
Character Waiver Requests
Medical Waiver Requests
Immigration and Protection Tribunal (IPT) Appeals
Prior Visa Declines and Breaches of Visa Conditions

Media and Public Commentary

Ankur is one of New Zealand’s most recognised immigration commentators. He has appeared repeatedly on TVNZ Breakfast, and his commentary has been published by 1News, Stuff, The Post, the Indian Weekender, Awaaz and Times Now India. He writes regularly on immigration policy, systemic issues within Immigration New Zealand, and the real-world impact of policy changes on migrants.

His commentary has been cited by respected New Zealand analysts including Bernard Hickey of The Kaka (Interest.co.nz) and Dr Bryce Edwards of the Democracy Project at Victoria University. These citations reflect recognition of Ankur’s views as credible and well-informed at a policy level, not just as a practitioner. Ankur also has a Google Knowledge Panel, which helps verify his public profile and professional identity online.

Institutional Recognition

Ankur was profiled on the Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology website from mid-2019 to mid-2026. Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology is a New Zealand public tertiary institution and the sole provider of the Graduate Diploma in New Zealand Immigration Advice. During this approximately seven-year period, Ankur appears to have been the only practising immigration adviser featured on the site. The profile recognises both his academic achievement and his professional impact.

Working With Ankur

Clients who work with Ankur deal with him directly on the key aspects of their case. He remains personally involved in strategy, advice, and important decisions throughout the matter. While the Visa Matters team assists with administrative and procedural work, clients are not brought in by a senior adviser only to be handed off to a junior. The person you speak to at the outset is the person responsible for the strategy and key decisions in your matter.

Ankur’s approach is based on honest advice in plain English. He does not offer artificial success percentages or guarantees, because the final decision on any visa application rests with Immigration New Zealand or the relevant decision maker. What he offers instead is a frank assessment of the situation, a clear view of the risks, and the strongest possible case presented on your behalf.

After three visa refusals, two handled by an immigration lawyer and one by an adviser, we had almost lost hope. After that first phone call with Ankur, we felt confident enough to proceed with another application through him. Ankur was always available whenever we contacted him. With Ankur's support, my husband successfully received his visitor visa from India. We strongly recommend Ankur to anyone who feels like they are losing hope in their visa journey.

About Ankur Sabharwal