File image. Photo: 123RF
The honorary Nepalese consul has warned an increasing number of migrants are being scammed into buying visas to work here.
Immigration lawyers and advisers raised the alarm two months ago that migrants were being charged up to $40,000 for recovery visas and Accredited Employer Work Visas (AEWV).
The Nepalese consul in Auckland said it was also being contacted by migrants who had been told they could buy a visitor or tourist visa, and work in New Zealand once they arrived.
It said they had spent a large amount of money before finding out they had been cheated.
"It's a big concern for us, they are paying hefty amounts of money just to get a visitor visa," honorary Nepalese consul Dinesh Khadka said. "They are paying between $10,000 and $30,000. The agents are giving people false hope they can work and can get residency.
"They don't have food, they say please help us. Some people are staying eight people in a two-bedroomed apartment. Whatever they had, they gave to an agent back in Nepal. They are desperate for food and everything."
About 1000 people were caught up in the scam, about half of whom were already in New Zealand.
"Every day there are new people coming," he said. "They are not coming forward because they are scared. I think it is happening to every ethnic community."
An estimated 40 percent had bought recovery or accredited employer work visas, and the remainder were visitor visas and many more people from other countries were similarly affected.
He feared it may be too late to bring the culprits in Nepal to justice, but he had helped a few migrants onto exploitation protection visas.
One social media advert showed the recovery visa being promoted as a free three-year work visa, when it lasts only six months. The visa was designed to provide workers and specialists to deal with the recent extreme weather events.
Lawyer Alastair McClymont told RNZ over the summer they started receiving reports of agents charging migrants for job offers and visas in India, Vietnam and elsewhere.
INZ said two immigration-accredited businesses had been reported to authorities, accused of charging migrants money in exchange for jobs and visas.
Immigration industry group NZAMI said it had growing concerns with potential migrant exploitation, including migrants with AEWVs arriving to find that there is no work and being granted those visas without having their experience or qualifications checked by INZ.
Some migrants were unable to do the jobs for which they had been granted a visa, it said.
Its chairperson Nicola Tiffen said it was working to find out how widespread the overseas payments were.
Immigration New Zealand and the Labour Inspectorate said they are aware of allegations of migrants paying for jobs and visas, and were looking into the matter.
Immigration New Zealand said it had no jurisdiction to prosecute offenders overseas.