An Auckland college has become the first private training establishment to be convicted of immigration fraud.
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The International College of Auckland has been fined $40,000 at the Auckland District Court.
The college pleaded guilty to 52 charges of breaching the Immigration Act by supplying false or misleading information to an immigration officer.
From 2015 to 2017, it provided official receipts to students showing they had paid the course fees in full, when they had only paid part.
The students used the receipts to get a visa.
The judge said the forgeries were a serious failure in honesty.
Immigration New Zealand assistant general manager Peter Devoy said the college's actions directly challenged the integrity of the immigration system.
Under immigration instructions, a full payment is required for the course in order to be granted a student visa for the duration of their course.