Employment for migrant

pandemic she was stuck in New Zealand and couldn’t work for anyone else unless the conditions of her visa were changed, which had been refused.

Di Schiena had interviewed for jobs in the Marlborough region, including vineyard pruning. She had also interviewed for jobs in Wellington and Auckland.

However, because Di Schiena did not have the relevant visa, she had missed out on those jobs.

‘‘I feel saddened. Immigration [New Zealand] said they couldn’t find any special circumstances to relax my visa conditions,’’ Di Schiena said.

Immigration New Zealand had eased some visa restrictions in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, which included extensions on some visas that expired from April 2 to July 9 extended to September 25.

‘‘When they relaxed conditions, I thought maybe I would be able to stay in Marlborough and work on a vineyard, but immigration didn’t accept my variation,’’ Di Schiena said.

Di Schiena had sent a letter to the prime minister, which she understood had been forwarded to Immigration.

‘‘I know my situation isn’t the most important thing in the world right now, but I do want to work and do my part.’’

Di Schiena had been told by Immigration New Zealand she needed a job offer, and would need to reapply for a new visa. Her visa would expire in October.

‘‘I would need a job offer and then go through the whole process to try and get a visa but noone is willing to hire me because they don’t want to wait around for that. Vineyard pruning is happening right now, employers need people that can start right away.’’

An Immigration New Zealand spokesperson said it ‘‘understands that some migrants may have lost their job as a result of Covid-19, and our current advice to people who are here from overseas, who are not currently employed, and are experiencing financial difficulty during Covid19 is to talk to their embassy or consulate for assistance.’’