The number of foreign legal professionals who are approved for a work permit or visa is very low, with just 25 approved so far in 2016, according to Immigration New Zealand statistics.
Information for the last seven years shows that fewer than 50 legal professionals' work applications are approved each year.
Compared to the total number of work applications approved - 107,936 so far in 2016 and 196,449 in 2015 - that is miniscule.
The highest number of applications approved are for legal secretaries, followed by solicitors and people in the category "judicial and other legal professionals nec".
Work applications approved, year to 31 December
| Occupation | 2016* | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010** |
| Barrister | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 1 |
| Judge | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 1 |
| Judicial & other legal professionals nec | 5 | 12 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 |
| Law Clerk | 3 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Legal Executive | 7 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 11 | 6 | 1 |
| Legal Secretary | 4 | 15 | 14 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 17 |
| Solicitor | 3 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 7 |
| Total | 25 | 48 | 46 | 42 | 53 | 49 | 38 |
* Year to 30 June; **Year from 1 July to 31 December.
Lawyers from other countries who want to work in New Zealand must meet the qualification requirements of the New Zealand Council of Legal Education. The Council's latest annual report, for the year to 31 December 2015, shows that in 2015 there were 95 applications from foreign applicants wanting to practise in New Zealand.