Mathew Harrington

Mathew joined Queen City Law in 2026, bringing an insider's view of how Immigration New Zealand actually works — drawn from over a decade's experience across operational, technical and leadership roles, including at INZ's national office, together with private practice experience.

He has deep experience in business and investment migration, including the Investor, Entrepreneur, Parent Retirement and Active Investor Plus categories — the Entrepreneur category has since been superseded by the Business Investor Visa. He contributed to the design and early implementation of Active Investor Plus and later monitored its early operational performance. His work has included sensitive, complex and high-profile immigration matters.

Mathew has also held operational leadership roles across temporary visa categories, including the Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme. In senior advisory roles, he advised Immigration New Zealand's senior leadership on complex operational issues. His work also included engagement with the Minister's Office, Official Information Act requests and Parliamentary Questions.

This gives Mathew a strong practical understanding of how Immigration New Zealand interprets instructions, assesses evidence and reaches decisions — insight he puts directly to work for clients, helping identify risk early and build a strong case. He combines professional rigour with empathy, recognising the significant personal and commercial decisions behind each client's situation. With Thai heritage, he also brings a personal appreciation of the cultural dimensions that can sit behind immigration matters.

Mathew holds a Bachelor of Laws from Victoria University of Wellington and a Bachelor of Business Studies from Massey University. He is admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand.