The New Delhi branch of Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has turned down more than 50 applications of potential migrants from India because an unauthorised agent (based in Hyderabad) submitted them.
The decision would inevitable place those applicants into double jeopardy, for, apart from losing monies that they would have already paid to the erring agent, they would also stand to lose time. They would be obliged to either submit their applications directly to INZ or route them through another agent, who is duly licenced by the Immigration Advisers Authority (IAA) in New Zealand.
New Zealanders have the righty to expect a more effective immigration regime with the ‘complete enforcement’ of the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act.
The Act, obliging overseas immigration consultants to obtain a license to offer their services to potential immigrants came into force on May 4, 2010, a year after the statute made it mandatory for New Zealanders offering immigration advice to be registered with the Authority.
INZ had announced two years ago that it would not entertain applications received from unlicensed advisers from that date, although applications received prior to the enforcement of the statute would be processed.
IAA Registrar Barry Smedts had said earlier that the new regulation offered better protection to migrants and potential migrants.
“The law was introduced to make sure that New Zealand’s reputation as a migrant destination is enhanced. The immigration adviser community no longer has room for poor performers who did little to help migrants.
“The good news for migrants is that wherever they are in the world, they can have confidence that their adviser meets the high professional standards New Zealanders would expect an adviser to meet,” he said.
The licensing system affecting immigration consultants are now obliged to display their licence prominently at the place of practice and explain to clients their rights and responsibilities. Licenses are renewed annually and the Registrar is expected to take a tough stand on erring advisers.
Lawyers, barristers and those in the legal profession are exempt from the statute.
The Immigration agent in India, who submitted 50 applications to INZ was clearly flouting the law and cannot claim that he was unaware of the new procedures that have been in place for at least two years.
Any statute will enlist public support if it effectively addressed relevant issues and weeded out the unwanted elements. In this case, the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act has lifted the expectations of almost everyone connected with the sector, because, too much bad had gone on too long and it was time to fix things.
The Australian government has been calling for joint action with New Zealand on this front, not only to prevent fraud but also to enable the two countries to bring in migrants that their economies need.
Migration, like other aspects of globalisation, is more manageable when countries work together.
