Open eyes as NZ moves to e-visas

Google e-visa and fraud and be prepared for a shock.

It seems there is an industry out there prepared to rip off travellers who like to let their fingers do the walking before “take off”.

And employers too need to have their eyes wide open now that New Zealand has moved further towards a completely electronic (e-visas) visa system. While Immigration New Zealand (INZ) stopped stamping passports with visas sought through electronic channels back in 2016, its now doing the same for paper-based applications.

Legislation requires employers to hold records that employees have the right to work in New Zealand. Traditionally that was a copy of a person’s NZ passport or birth certificate or their visa if they weren’t a kiwi. Now employers maybe presented with a e-visa as a record of a person’s work rights.

INZ says people should print out their e-visa, which they will receive via email , and keep it with their passport. Employers can ask to have a copy.

A person’s middle name might not appear in the e-visa, but that is not a problem so long as the other details are a match with the passport.

Employers – do the simple comparison – do the e-visa and the passport match details?

Migrants workers can allow you to verify your visa details by authorising them to check on INZ’s Visa Verification Service. Or just get Malcolm Pacific Immigration to help.