 The Government is considering tighter regulation on immigration agents who deal with foreign students. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says if students deported over their dodgy documents are telling the truth about being duped, the Government has an obligation to "make sure their reputations are not besmirched by the actions of others". Earlier this year a group of Indian students facing deportation sought refuge in an Auckland church, claiming they had no idea their documents had been forged. They were eventually kicked out, with then-Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse refusing to grant any leniency. "Effectively those decisions have already been made. [The students] have sought ministerial intervention; that has been declined," he said in February. "They're unlawful and they need to leave New Zealand." Many of the approximately 150 students have since struggled to find work back home. "We feel like all the doors are being closed for us," Hafiz Syed told Newshub at the weekend. "We don't know which way to go now, and we really can't find any jobs for us now." Ms Ardern told The AM Show on Monday "if they knew what was going on, then we should treat the case as such" "If they didn't, we should also have regard they were unwittingly drawn in by individuals who acted as agents and acted illegally." The Ombudsman is looking into the Indian students' cases. A spokesman for new Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway told Newshub he's waiting on the outcome of its investigation before making a decision. After that, new rules may follow. "Successive Governments, both Labour and National, have looked whether or not we need to individually regulate the way those agents work," said Ms Ardern. "When it comes to agents who work solely with students, both successive Governments have chosen not to. I think we need to have a look at that." Many low-value courses marketed to foreign students are likely to be dropped, with Ms Ardern expecting the cuts to make up about a third of the Government's target of 30,000 fewer immigrants annually. Combined with the dodgy documents scandal that's affected Indian students, Ms Ardern says they're not a good look for New Zealand. "When it comes to export education, we want a well-run, thriving export education sector where New Zealand's reputation is enhanced and people get value for money. I think New Zealanders would want that too. We don't want people taking advantage of dodgy courses." To read the actual article, visit here.
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 Immigration NZ made 'serious error' in denying autistic Bangladeshi boy residency, tribunal rules Immigration New Zealand made a mistake when it denied an autistic six-year-old boy from Bangladesh residency with his family, a tribunal has ruled. A "serious procedural error" meant the severity of the boy's autism — the reason his application was rejected — may have been overstated, the Immigration and Protection Tribunal found in March. Documents released today showed that while one medical assessor had deemed the child likely to be a financial burden on New Zealand's education system, a paediatrician and a paediatric neurologist who evaluated his disorder after the ruling said the boy was high functioning with no more "significant health needs" than other children his age. Tribunal member Sharon Pearson cancelled Immigration NZ's decision to deny the boy a visa as it had failed to take into account the second medical opinion required by law for such cases. The boy arrived in New Zealand in 2012 on a visitor visa as the dependant of his work visa-holding mother. He had been receiving Ministry of Education funding to attend a school for children with special needs since 2015. That the boy could have been eligible for this $15,000 per year until he was 21 implied he "was likely to impose significant costs and/or demands on New Zealand's education services," according to Immigration New Zealand. His application for residency was denied in 2016 due to the medical assessor's opinion that he lacked "an acceptable standard of health" and would therefore require the extra government funding. The boy's parents appealed the decision armed with medical opinions contesting the boy's prognosis. A paediatrician's report said the child had in fact been diagnosed with "high functioning autism spectrum disorder" with no evidence of intellectual disability, and that he had shown "encouraging" progress at school. "It was not anticipated that he would have any significant health needs compared to other children his age," the report read. A paediatric neurologist noted that "individuals with high functioning autism do progress well and often do not need any medical, neurological, or pharmaceutical input". The tribunal ruled that Immigration NZ would have to conduct a fresh assessment of the boy's autism — taking into account more than one medical assessor's view — to ensure a "fair and proper process" in determining his eligibility for residency. To read the actual article, check here.  Due to various reasons, NZ government decided to temporarily close the category October last year. However, based on our conversation with multiple government officials, it would be reintroduced in the future with more restriction and better control over how the parent will access to social services including a hospital. If you would like to update with the category, please leave your comment here so you will be notified when we make an announcement here. |
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