Student visa bids scrutinised
Immigration officials are manually reviewing 895 student visa applications for evidence of fraudulent documentation.
A visa scam saw a Sri Lankanbased finance company create paperwork to show students had money in their bank accounts in order to meet immigration criteria.
Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway said the review would look at the applications that came through the New Zealand immigration office in Mumbai last year.
It was looking at who was still in New Zealand and who came to the country using a visa approved on backing of the finance company.
Those who used the fraudulent finance company would be flagged and if they decided to extend their visas, they would be closely scrutinised, he said.
Officials would not be retrospectively reviewing the application decisions because it was a ‘‘pointless exercise’’.
The only source that could determine whether the students genuinely had the funding was the fraudulent company, which New Zealand was no longer accepting applications from, he said. He told the House that the patterns of behaviour detected when the fraud was identified were being looked at to find other opportunities to detect fraud early.
‘‘What we need to make sure of is that this immigration system has integrity.’’
Officials were looking at how widespread the issue was, however National’s immigration spokesman, Michael Woodhouse, did not believe that was good enough.
‘‘By my estimate there could be hundreds, if not thousands, of applications approved where fraudulent documentation was supplied.’’
Meanwhile, a proposed overhaul to the visa scheme that allows international students to continue to work in New Zealand is likely to see more changes.
In an effort to stamp out exploitation, Lees-Galloway proposed the removal of a requirement for post-study work visas to be sponsored by a particular employer.
Yesterday, he confirmed he would seek approval from Cabinet for revised changes to his proposal after receiving 2000 submissions. It is understood this could happen on Monday.
Stuff has been told he will likely announce the changes at the New Zealand International Education Conference in Wellington on August 9 or 10.
One of the country’s largest private training establishments is concerned the visa changes will decimate its business.
Aspire2 International chief executive Clare Bradley believed Lees-Galloway had been talking mostly to universities and polytechs about adding graduate diplomas to the top level.
‘‘It would not address the concerns we have about level seven diplomas and below, where there is a significant reduction in the work rights.’’
She believed many students would look at their options in other countries if their post study work rights were removed in New Zealand.