An Auckland woman has been sentenced in Auckland District Court to a total of 27 months' imprisonment after being found guilty of five offences under the Immigration Act 2009.
Naengnoi Sriphet, a Thai national who holds New Zealand citizenship, recruited and employed two workers from Thailand to work as massage therapists, under Immigration New Zealand's (INZ's) "Essential Skills" work policy.
In order for her workers to be granted visas under this policy, Sriphet's prospective employees were required to show that they had appropriate qualifications and experience as Thai massage therapists. In addition, Sriphet was required to satisfy INZ that the job offer was for genuine, sustainable and full-time employment.
In the course of an investigation into Sriphet, INZ discovered that she had provided her employees with employment agreements in Thai, which were significantly different to the agreements she had provided to INZ in support of the visa applications.
The Thai employment agreements also did not meet the requirements of New Zealand employment law.