The honorary Nepalese consul has warned an increasing number of migrants are being scammed into buying visas to work here.
Immigration lawyers and advisers raised the alarm two months ago that migrants were being charged up to $40,000 for recovery visas and Accredited Employer Work Visas (AEWV).
The Nepalese consul in Auckland said it was also being contacted by migrants who had been told they could buy a visitor or tourist visa, and work in New Zealand once they arrived.
It said they had spent a large amount of money before finding out they had been cheated.
One social media advert showed the recovery visa being promoted as a free three-year work visa, when it lasts only six months. The visa was designed to provide workers and specialists to deal with the recent extreme weather events.
Lawyer Alastair McClymont told RNZ over the summer they started receiving reports of agents charging migrants for job offers and visas in India, Vietnam and elsewhere.
INZ said two immigration-accredited businesses had been reported to authorities, accused of charging migrants money in exchange for jobs and visas.
Immigration industry group NZAMI said it had growing concerns with potential migrant exploitation, including migrants with AEWVs arriving to find that there is no work and being granted those visas without having their experience or qualifications checked by INZ.
Some migrants were unable to do the jobs for which they had been granted a visa, it said.
Its chair Nicola Tiffen said it was working to find out how widespread the overseas payments were.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/490954/migrants-cheated-out-of-money-in-nz-worker-visa-scam-nepalese-consul
