A former minister of immigration and customs is facing 10 charges brought by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO).

Tuariki John Delamere has appeared in an Auckland court on seven counts of fraudulent use of a document and three of forgery.

The SFO isn't revealing what the charges relate to but Delamere became an immigration consultant after leaving parliament in 1999.

Former Immigration Minister Lianne Dalziel claimed Delamere was helping migrants dodge the rules by setting up companies in migrants' names and then essentially hiring them to work for themselves. This meant they could avoid the English language test for skilled migrants.

Delamere told a parliamentary select committee his scheme was legal and within government policy. He said as an immigration consultant it was his job to get clients into New Zealand.