Elly Fleming
Head of Immigration | Senior Associate
Specialist immigration lawyer with more than 18 years' experience across New Zealand and Australian immigration law.
Trusted adviser to businesses, investors, families and individuals, including licensed immigration advisers, navigating complex immigration and regulatory matters.
Known for delivering practical, strategic and results-focused advice in challenging and high-stakes cases.
DDI: +64 3 545 6714
Elly leads Pitt & Moore's immigration practice and is one of the few lawyers in New Zealand providing specialist advice across the full spectrum of New Zealand and Australian immigration law.
She works with employers, investors, skilled migrants and families, helping them navigate complex immigration requirements with confidence.
Her practice includes New Zealand and Australian visas, employer accreditation, compliance matters, Immigration & Protection Tribunal appeals, immigration due diligence and specialist advisory work. She also advises licensed immigration advisers facing disciplinary action and appears as an expert immigration witness in criminal or employment proceedings. She is particularly well-regarded for her ability to untangle complicated immigration issues and develop clear strategies to achieve successful outcomes.
Clients value Elly's practical approach, responsiveness and commitment to understanding their objectives. Whether advising a multinational establishing operations in New Zealand, a family seeking residence or an individual facing deportation liability, Elly provides clear advice and strong advocacy throughout the process.
A recognised voice in immigration law, Elly is an experienced presenter at professional development seminars and webinars for legal and immigration professionals. She is a long-standing member of The Law Association's Immigration & Refugee Law Committee and is frequently sought by national media for commentary on immigration policy and developments.
Client Reviews
“Elly has supported Texel Air through a particularly challenging start up and recruitment phase with Elly always responding in a professional and timely manner. Every application submitted with her guidance has been successful, often securing results within very tight timeframes. Her expertise, dedication, and ability to deliver under pressure make her an invaluable partner. We have no hesitation in recommending Elly.”
— Steve Wilks, Director, Texel Air“We have worked with Elly for a number of years and greatly value her ongoing support and expertise. She takes the time to understand our business needs and always provides clear, pragmatic immigration advice. Her professionalism, responsiveness, and genuine commitment to achieving good outcomes make her a trusted partner to our team.”
— Rai Silviculture“Working with Elly Fleming has been a consistently positive experience. She handles all immigration matters with clarity and professionalism, providing practical solutions while genuinely caring about our people. We greatly value her guidance and expertise.”
— Nelson Pine Industries LtdImmigration and Visa Help
Elly provides end-to-end advice on residence, work, investor and family-based visa pathways. She has extensive experience assisting with Skilled Migrant, Residence from Work, Investor, Active Investor Plus, Parent Retirement and partnership-based applications.
She is also highly experienced in employer accreditation, Job Check applications, immigration compliance issues, ministerial interventions, character waivers, medical waivers and deportation liability matters. Her work regularly involves helping clients through complex and high-stakes immigration situations, where expert strategic advice can make a significant difference.
Examples of her work include:
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Securing multiple approvals for Active Investor Plus visas and Parent Retirement Visas.
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Guiding individuals through the partnership visa process, from initial application through to securing residence, permanent residence and New Zealand citizenship.
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Delivering positive outcomes on challenging character waiver and medical waiver requests, ensuring clients could proceed with their immigration goals despite significant obstacles.
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Achieving successful results in complex cases requiring Ministerial special directions, including those involving humanitarian circumstances and exceptional personal situations.
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Successfully representing numerous clients at risk of deportation.
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Assisting a wide range of employers to obtain or renew accreditation with Immigration New Zealand, enabling them to recruit or retain migrants across industries such as forestry, retail, fishing and seafood, construction, aquaculture, manufacturing and IT.
Immigration Advice for Businesses
Elly is a trusted adviser to employers across a wide range of industries, including forestry, seafood, aquaculture, construction, manufacturing, retail and technology.
She advises businesses on employer accreditation requirements, migrant workforce compliance, business restructures involving migrant employees and immigration due diligence associated with business acquisitions. She also assists overseas businesses establishing operations in New Zealand and relocating key personnel.
When clients are considering purchasing a business with existing migrant employees, Elly conducts thorough immigration due diligence to verify the status of workers’ visas and identify any compliance risks. Her work provides critical insights alongside other legal due diligence, ensuring purchasers fully understand potential immigration-related exposures.
Examples of her work include:
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Supporting multinational companies in establishing their first operations in New Zealand, from relocating staff to securing accreditation, enabling long-term transfers and creating clear pathways to residence.
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Advising event promoters and film companies on enabling performers, directors, and crew to enter and work in New Zealand.
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Efficiently securing Specific Purpose Work Visas for intra-corporate transferees and specialist personnel, often under very tight timeframes to meet urgent business needs.
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Completing comprehensive immigration due diligence for high-value transactions under tight timeframes and advising clients on compliance risks, and mitigation strategies to support informed business decisions.
Immigration & Protection Tribunal appeals
A significant part of Elly's practice involves representing clients in Immigration & Protection Tribunal appeals and other complex immigration matters. Elly’s in-depth knowledge of Tribunal processes and procedures means that she can give her clients timely, practical and direct advice, particularly on their prospects of success.
She has been involved in several significant appeals against deportation liability for clients who were unlawfully in New Zealand or for residence class visa holders.
Examples of her work in this area include:
Securing successful outcomes in multiple humanitarian, residence and deportation-related appeals before the Immigration & Protection Tribunal.
Guiding clients through complex procedural and evidential requirements, achieving results that protect their rights and immigration status.
Australian Visa Services
Drawing on more than 18 years' experience in Australian migration law, Elly advises individuals and businesses on employer-sponsored and family migration pathways, as well as Australian citizenship matters.
She also assists clients with complex eligibility issues, visa refusals and review proceedings, providing practical advice tailored to their circumstances.
Examples of her work in this area include:
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Assisting New Zealand employers in deploying specialist personnel to Australia, securing suitable work visas within tight timeframes.
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Advising event promoters and film companies on enabling performers, directors, and crew to enter and work in Australia.
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Guiding individuals through the partnership visa process, from initial application through to securing permanent residence and Australian citizenship.
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Assisting New Zealand citizens with criminal convictions or character concerns to obtain Australian visas.
Legal Support for Immigration Advisers
Elly is widely respected within the immigration profession and regularly advises Licensed Immigration Advisers on compliance, professional conduct and disciplinary matters.
She also helps Licensed Immigration Advisers effectively manage client complaints and, if necessary, represents them in complaints proceedings before the Immigration Advisers Authority and Disciplinary Tribunal.
She assists Licensed Immigration Advisers with complex visa application and Immigration & Protection Tribunal appeals, including where there is a potential or actual conflict of interest relating to their clients.
Examples of her work in this area include:
Representing and advising Licensed Immigration Advisers in relation to client complaints, Immigration Advisers Authority investigations and disciplinary matters.
Reviewing and strengthening Client Service Agreements and practice documentation to ensure regulatory compliance and reduce business risk.
Advising on practice management, compliance systems, record-keeping requirements and risk management strategies.
Providing strategic advice on conflicts of interest, confidentiality obligations, and other complex ethical and professional conduct issues.
Expert Witness Services
Elly has extensive experience preparing expert immigration opinions for criminal proceedings, advising defence counsel and defendants on the potential immigration consequences of criminal convictions, including the impact on visa eligibility, residency status, deportation liability, and the ability to enter, remain in or return to New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. Her expert evidence frequently supports applications for a discharge without conviction, where immigration consequences are a significant consideration.
She has also provided expert witness evidence in employment disputes involving migrant workers, including proceedings before the Employment Relations Authority, offering specialist advice on immigration status, visa conditions and employer compliance obligations.
In addition, Elly provides a wide range of expert immigration opinions in support of criminal, family, and other legal proceedings for both New Zealand citizens and migrants, including cases in overseas jurisdictions.
Examples of her work in this area include:
Appearing as an expert witness before the New Zealand Court of Appeal, providing specialist evidence on immigration law and the immigration consequences of criminal convictions.
Appearing as an expert witness before the Employment Relations Authority, advising on immigration status, visa conditions, migrant worker rights and employer compliance obligations.
Appearing as an expert witness before the New Zealand District Courts, including in support of applications for a discharge without conviction where immigration consequences are a relevant consideration.
Providing expert immigration evidence in proceedings before the High Court of Justice (Family Division) in the United Kingdom concerning the New Zealand immigration consequences of family law matters.
Providing expert evidence before the New Zealand Court of Appeal on Australian migration law, including character requirements and the impact of criminal convictions on New Zealand citizens' ability to obtain, retain, or travel on Australian visas.
