A client who landed into trouble with INZ says his mistake was in trusting Wong. Photo / Michael Craig
A client who landed into trouble with INZ says his mistake was in trusting Wong. Photo / Michael Craig
An immigrant adviser is waiting to hear what penalties might be imposed on him after he was accused of lodging false documents to support his clients' visa applications.
A complaint against Frankie Woei Jye Wong has been partially upheld by the Immigration Advisers Complaints and Disciplinary Tribunal.
The target="_blank">tribunal said it was also considering sanctions against Wong, who it said provided false evidence and failed to attend the hearing.
Wong had acted for a number of Malaysian clients seeking work visas, but his license has been suspended.
One of Wong's former clients, who has been found by INZ to have lodged false documents, said his mistake was in "trusting Frankie".
"He was my immigration adviser and I all I did was follow his advice," said the client, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
"Yes, I went to get the false reference letters and supporting documents, but I got them because Frankie asked me to and I trusted him."
Wong, the sole director of HF Consultants Limited, allegedly made his clients sign blank immigration application forms before completing them on their behalf.
"The most serious allegation against him is that he procured and then provided to INZ false documents on behalf of the clients," the tribunal said.
Wong denied the allegations, which the tribunal said was contrary to an admission made to the Immigration Advisers Authority, and declined to attend a hearing to explain the contradiction.
In one case, a Malaysian couple who overstayed their visas returned home to change their names and obtained fresh passports in the new names.
It was alleged that Wong created a template work reference letter claiming they had worked for a construction company in Malaysia while they had in fact been in New Zealand.
This was forwarded to an acquaintance of theirs to complete, and was lodged by Wong on their behalf to INZ as part of the work visa applications.
In another case, Wong also allegedly filed a work visa application supported by false work reference and payslips for a man who arrived in November 2014.
Besides advising his client's friend, a director of a construction company in Malaysia about what to include in a reference letter, Wong also allegedly got him to email false payslips.
INZ started investigating Wong in March 2017, and he was charged with providing false or misleading information but was acquitted at the trial in July last year.
Immigration adviser Frankie Wong acted for a number of Malaysian clients seeking work visas. Photo / File
A search warrant was executed by the agency on Wong's home on June 13 that year, where hard copy and documents were seized.
Earlier, on December 13 2016, INZ also lodged a complaint to the Registrar of Immigration Advisers against Wong for dishonest or misleading behaviour and breaches of the Immigration Advisers Code of Conduct 2014.
On August 30 2017, the registrar applied to the tribunal for the suspension of Wong's licence.
Wong filed a statement denying all the accusations against him, but accepted the decision to suspend his license and asked for the opportunity to provide further information before a final decision was issued.
Wong claimed in a letter on May 1 2019 that the pre-signed form was never used, but this was rejected by the tribunal.
A hearing was scheduled last month, but Wong informed the tribunal by email that he was unable to attend and that he was fully committed to another career path in Malaysia.
Tribunal Chairman David Plunkett partially upheld the complaint, and sanctions may be imposed taking into account Wong's conduct and his failure to attend the hearing and provision of evidence on May 1 2019 were false.
He ruled against naming Wong's clients, saying there was no public interest and that it would not be fair to disclose them.
The registrar, INZ and Wong have until July 19 to make their submissions.
