Visitor's visa and work don't mix.

[b:bb8ce83442]Foreign visitors not illegal workers - lodge owner[/b:bb8ce83442]
13 March 2006

Four people with visitors visas, detained at Christchurch Airport yesterday, were paying guests staying at a luxury lodge rather than illegal immigrants planning to work here, the owner of the lodge said today. The group from England, the United States and two from Slovenia were held in custody yesterday after arriving in the country and being interviewed by immigration officials.

Immigration Department spokeswoman Charlotte Bull said that after interviewing the group they had confirmed they were travelling to the Takaro Peace Resort, near Te Anau, to work. But resort owner Joel Sutton said they were guests at the lodge who had booked and paid for their stay. The lodge got into trouble last week after police raided the property and arrested and deported 12 Eastern European overstayers who were working there for food and board.

A Department of Labour immigration manager Steve May said four people were refused entry yesterday because they intended to work here.

"Immigration policy dictates that people in New Zealand on visitor's permits cannot work for gain or reward," Mr May said. But Mr Sutton said the four were not going to work for them and he had sent an immigration lawyer to Christchurch to try to stop them from being deported. "These friends are paying guests like any other and our lawyer in Christchurch is with them at the moment and she is presenting their booking details and their receipts of payment ... so we just hope the mistake can be sorted out as quickly as possible."

Mr Sutton said time was of the essence as tickets out of the country were booked for a 1pm deportation today. He said he wanted to discuss the issue with the Immigration Department so his guests would not be detained in the future. Nobody from the lodge had been able to speak with the guests, but Mr Sutton said the situation was "quite embarrassing".

There is no mention that the lodge is taken out of business which I feel should be to serve as a stern warning to other operators trying to avoid the hassle of getting work permits for foreigners.

Perhaps it is a sign that NZ is really short of workers and thus operators like that lodge resorted to this.

pulsarblu

Before I came to NZ I was under the impression that one could "work" for food/board as long as you aren't "paid" in any way (other than those benefits).

I'd read it on some website, but can't think of where now. Pretty sure it wasn't this one.