By rnz.co.nz and is republished with permission
Labour Party immigration spokesperson Phil Twyford has called for action on a company accused of job-selling.
Labour Party immigration spokesperson Phil Twyford. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
An immigration adviser, Heidi Castelucci, was taped telling an overseas worker she can help get him residency with a fake job in return for $70,000.
She said the job would be at her husband’s firm, Liberty Consulting Group Limited in Auckland, an accredited employer under visa rules.
The company denies any wrongdoing.
Twyford said it should be thoroughly investigated. He said Immigration NZ needed the resources to do thorough checks on companies.
“I strongly support anything that the current government can do to crack down on these kind of situations,” he said.
“I really hope that Immigration NZ investigates this – thoroughly – and if the employer is found guilty, they should have the book thrown at them.”
Migrant Workers Association president Anu Kaloti said migrants in similar situations could not seek protection through the Migrant Exploitation Protection Visa (MEPV), as it was not considered to be exploitation if someone arrived to find they have no job, or they lost their job soon afterwards, after paying a premium to get work.
“We call it ‘the migrant worker has been scammed’, but the immigration settings are now that if someone has paid money to secure a job and support for the visa, they are not to be classed as exploited, and potentially they’re not eligible for the MEPV.
“So the message that those settings send, after that, is that you don’t have absolutely any help. We fear we may have created our next batch of overstayers or fake refugee claims.”
Castelucci told RNZ if the complainant had “particular concerns about my conduct as a licensed immigration adviser, those are appropriately referred to the Immigration Advisers Authority for consideration. It would not be appropriate for me to comment until that process is completed.”
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