INZ lays down new enforcement tools for employer non-compliance

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has deployed new enforcement tools, to deal with lower-level immigration non-compliance as well as prevent employers from exploiting migrant workers.

The changes made by the INZ are meant for employers who were not following employment laws and standards, as reported in an article by Scoop.

Initially, non-compliant employers would be prosecuted through criminal courts. With the changes, employers who fail to comply with the law can be issued with infringement notices that have penalties varying in severity.

These penalties can include a minimum fine of $1,000, losing the status of an accredited employer, and being prohibited from supporting visas for migrant workers.

New enforcement strategy from Immigration New Zealand

Depending on the number of infringement notices received, a stand-down from supporting visa applications may range from 6 months for a single infringement up to 12 months for multiple infringements that were issued at once, said Scoop.

The names of those employers who have stood down under the new enforcement strategy will be published on the INZ website, which will help the public become aware about employers who were non-compliant with the rules.

While employers can still hire migrants who have open work visas despite being on the stand-down list, they need to show that they have resolved the issue and made sure to have done what was needed so that it will not occur again before they will be able to receive accreditation under the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) programme once more, said Scoop.

The AEWV programme is the principal temporary work visa in New Zealand. Such work visas are granted to those who were not citizens or residents of New Zealand but have received a full-time job offer with at least 30 hours of work from an accredited employer in the country.