Luyao Xu

Luyao joined Pathways to New Zealand® in 2026 as an Immigration Advisor Assistant. She will undertake the LIA course in 2027 as she works towards obtaining her own Immigration Advisor License.

Luyao first came to New Zealand in 2022 as an international student and graduated from Victoria University of Wellington with a Bachelor of Laws. She was admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand in May 2026. In her admission speech, she spoke of her wish to advocate for people who genuinely want to make New Zealand their home.

Originally from China, Luyao graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (English) from Hangzhou in 2020. She then went on to work at a China-based innovation hub in partnership with the University of Monterrey. There, she helped Latin American scientists establish themselves in China. She later moved into a role at a modelling agency, working as an in-house immigration administrator and handling recruitment and immigration matters for Fashion models.

She also clerked at Ocean Law New Zealand, a Maritime law firm in Nelson, where she gained valuable experience working within a New Zealand legal environment. During university, she worked with the Ignite team, where she provided consultancy work for the NZ National Youth Refugee Council.

Luyao is fluent in both Mandarin and English. Outside of work, she enjoys crafting, and giving new life to clothes she's scavenged from local op shops.