Phil Twyford, the Labour Party’s immigration spokesperson, is calling for action against a company accused of selling jobs. An immigration adviser named Heidi Castelucci was recorded telling an overseas worker she could help them get residency by creating a fake job for $70,000. The job would be at her husband’s company, Liberty Consulting Group Limited in Auckland, which is an accredited employer. The company denies any wrongdoing.
Twyford wants a full investigation into the matter. He emphasized that Immigration NZ needs more resources to properly check companies. “I support any actions the government can take to stop this type of behavior,” he said. He hopes Immigration NZ will do a thorough investigation and punish guilty employers severely.
Anu Kaloti, president of the Migrant Workers Association, said that migrants in similar situations cannot get help from the Migrant Exploitation Protection Visa (MEPV). She explained that it is not seen as exploitation if someone arrives in New Zealand without a job or loses their job after paying for work. “We call it ‘the migrant worker has been scammed,'” she said. However, the rules mean that if someone paid for a job and visa support, they might not be seen as exploited and could be ineligible for the MEPV.
Kaloti worries that these circumstances could lead to more overstayers and fake refugee claims.
Castelucci said that if there are complaints about her as a licensed immigration adviser, they should be directed to the Immigration Advisers Authority and she cannot comment until their process is finished.
