Over 1,000 applicants rejected for cyclone visa in fraud crackdown

The rate at which visas have been declined has been increasing. (Image: Getty)

Mon, 31 Jul 2023

A special work visa created to assist with cyclone recovery efforts was targeted by organised scammers, forcing Immigration New Zealand to reject two out of every five applications.By comparison, Immigration NZ (INZ) only declined one out of fifty applications for the standard approved employer work visa in the past financial year.In five months since it was announced, 1,130 workers have arrived on the special visas, which allow workers to enter the country for up to six months to do a job that supports the North Island's recovery from extr...

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