Overseas migration offices ‘frustrate’
A high volume of online visa applications are being processed by a Chinese branch of Immigration New Zealand, causing issues for Queenstown employers and their workers.
Many immigrants have been rushing to apply for temporary work visas before proposed changes come into effect at the end of August, overloading New Zealand offices.
However, immigration advisers Martin Guich and Mel Belmar, of Collective Consulting, in Queenstown, said overseas branches were making visa processing difficult for applicants and their employers.
Immigration New Zealand workers in Beijing and Shanghai were ‘‘over the top’’ with asking for information that was not on the requirement list, Belmar said.
Some of them were employer financial statements, pay slips for all employees in the past six months, a business plan, CVs of all job applicants, and photos of an applicant’s workplace.
‘‘There’s lots off things offshore branches do not understand about locals and it’s very frustrating,’’ she said.
If the information was not provided, the applicant would be suspected of hiding something, Belmar said. ‘‘I don’t think any employer has been really happy.’’
Employers were concerned they might be breaking the law by providing personal information in CVs, she said.
Guich said immigration officers in China were also questioning the dearth of Kiwi workers applying for jobs, and advertising methods.
‘‘Our job is normally to direct the officers in the right direction and support the client to make it seamless but the more that goes offshore, the more work is involved because you are having to do their job.’’
The time difference with New Zealand was also causing difficulties, Guich said.
Collective Consulting had lodged official complaints to Immigration NZ, he said.
Queenstown-based Goldman Legal’s principal Elliot Goldman said he had not faced issues with overseas branches, and the majority of his clients’ applications were transferred to Christchurch.
‘‘I haven’t found them [overseas offices] to be ... much different from New Zealand branches,’’ Goldman said.
Immigration NZ assistant general manager Geoff Scott was unaware of issues with the standards of overseas visa processing since it was launched in 2013.
‘‘All decisions made on visa applications are made by designated and delegated immigration officers so the services are efficient and of a high standard irrespective of whether it is processed here in New Zealand or at an Immigration New Zealand office overseas,’’ he said.
Overseas offices had enhanced Immigration’s ability to move the processing of visa applications globally, Scott said. Residency applications were still being processed by Christchurch officers.
Changes were made to the rules in April for people applying for a skilled migrant visa and essential skills work visa - a points-based system for people who want to work and live in New Zealand.
However, yesterday, Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse announced initial plans to impose a salary band nearing $50,000 for migrants to be classed as ‘‘mid-skilled’’.
‘‘This means that any migrant earning below $41,538 a year will be considered lower-skilled and will be subject to the stand-down periods.
‘‘Any migrant earning between $41,538 and $73,299 a year in an occupation classified as level 1-3 will be considered midskilled,’’ he said.