Family warned they could be deported after Immigration NZ wrongly gives 115 visas
After being awarded visas to travel to New Zealand, a couple has been left out of pocket after being informed by immigration authorities there had been a mistake and warned they could be deported if they tried to use it.
According to Stuff, Immigration New Zealand issued 115 visas in error. They are currently deciding whether to issue refunds to customers who booked flights and accommodations before Immigration realized their error.
Jawed and Rizwana Qazi were thrilled to have been given visitor visas, which were valid for a year. They had intended to fly from Pakistan to see family in West Auckland in April.
The Quazis got a letter from Immigration just two days before their flight to New Zealand, informing them that their visas had been cancelled and that they risked being deported if they attempted to use them.
Jawed Qazi's past employment history going back five years was not requested by Immigration, which was necessary to finish a third-party verification.
Prior to making a decision on your application, you were not asked for this information. The letter read, "We sincerely apologize for the error and we acknowledge the impact this will have on you."
The couple was strongly cautioned against visiting New Zealand on a visa because they might be denied boarding.
They ran the possibility of being deported if they were already within the nation when the visa was mistakenly issued.
The letter stated that the pair had until April 28 to submit the necessary job data.
We will get in touch with you on the status of your visa once we have evaluated the information we have received and evaluated. Farrukh Elahi, the couple's son-in-law, said the family is in shock.
We're all fairly angry, and I'm especially irate. The pressure at work has been great for my father-in-law, a doctor. He was eager to spend some leisurely time with us and see New Zealand.
People being told they can't travel to New Zealand until at least four months after their visas have been granted is just really frustrating. He declared that this wasn't acceptable and that the required inspections should have been made before the visa was approved by immigration officials.
The family has provided the necessary information and is now again awaiting word on the status of their visa application.
General Manager of Immigration New Zealand Richard Owen expressed regret to the Qazis for the suffering his division had brought them.
According to Owen, immigration found that further information was necessary in order to make a decision on the Qazis' application.
Unfortunately, a glitch in our system resulted in the approval of Mr and Mrs Qazi's application before additional information was needed.
As soon as we discovered the problem, we proactively contacted Mr and Mrs Qazi to let them know about it and ask for more details so we could complete their application.
Owen stated that approximately 115 people were affected by this system issue and urged them to get in touch with Immigration to find out if they qualify for travel expenses to be covered.
We are aware that some of the affected individuals have already left for New Zealand. We have been trying to get in touch with these people so we can get more information to help with the similar problems with their visa applications.
In order to prevent this blunder from happening again, Owen stated that measures were being taken, including changing standard operating procedures, staff training, and updating instructions.
