New Zealand backpackers on STA Travel visas advocate for access to promised jobs

By Gill Bonnet of RNZ

New Zealand backpackers who bought visas from STA Travel-related companies are pleading with immigration officials to allow them access to the jobs they were promised.

At least one of them unknowingly overstayed after staff told him that his work exchange visa application was already being processed.

They ask Immigration New Zealand to honor visas they fear were poorly sold.

Helen Platten is among 200 travelers in a Facebook group created to get answers about where her money went.

They were already in New Zealand, working, visiting and backpacking, and were wary of returning to the coronavirus-devastated countries of origin.

The 33-year-old Briton said they were happy when STA Travel IEP Visas and Bunac affiliates told them they could apply for work exchange visas to extend their stays.

“I was absolutely happy, I can’t tell you how relieved I was, I was in an absolute stream of tears on the phone because it was something that I hadn’t even dreamed possible.”

Hotel worker Mindy, from the US, fears she will take advantage of her despair, despite proving it to be true.

“The IEP made a big announcement on the 6th [August] saying that if you are currently in New Zealand on a work and holiday visa you could apply for it. And many of us, including myself, called immigration to ask if he was okay and if we can still move on. And we all got a ‘yes’. “

There was also conflicting information from Immigration since the IEP and STA went into administration, he said.

“I don’t even know how many different things [we are told], every day is something different. So we are not sure we can legally stay here with the work visa that we were led to believe we could get. “

New Zealand Immigration (INZ) said in a statement that only those abroad when they applied would have been eligible for the one-year visa.

The scheme had a quota of 1000 people a year and the IEP had up to 450 of the places.

Bonnie Toye, a 32-year-old woman from New York, first learned about a problem when she called INZ to find out that her visa had expired. She had become an excess and an appeal, known as Section 61, had been filed in the system.

“I didn’t know it was illegal in the country for almost a month, no one told me this was issued to us, apparently Buna did it on my behalf knowing full well that they didn’t send it on time. She never even sent the money to immigration.”

INZ waived his visitor visa fee after hearing what had happened to him.

But that still left his plan for a year of work here, and possible subsequent residence, in shambles.

Affected backpackers say money that is tied up in non-existent visa applications could have been used to pay for their living costs.

It was overwhelming to be in a foreign country with dwindling funds and nowhere to turn.

Helen Platten hoped that a compromise would allow them to stay and fill the gap that has been well publicized for farmworkers.

“A lot of us are from the UK and also from the US and we are adaptable, flexible and we really just want to collaborate.”

The administrators, Deloitte, said an IEP creditor committee has been formed and they are working to identify those affected and how to help them.

“Now that the first meetings have been held, the priority of administrators remains to secure data and information and to continue their investigations with a view to understanding what is possible to help those affected. A report for those affected will be published in the mid-end September, before the basin meeting.

“In addition to protecting data and reconciling STA reserve information, Trustees are exploring options under various government support schemes, with a view to identifying further support, if any, that may be available to affected parties.”

The Immigration Advisers Authority urged people to contact them if they were concerned about the immigration advice they had received, or if they received advice from someone who was not licensed.

STA, IEP and Bunac have been contacted for comment.

In a statement, INZ said it was working with Deloitte to see what visa options were available to assist applicants.

“It should be noted that on September 4, the Government announced the introduction of a new Covid-19 short-term visitor visa to assist temporary migrants who are unable to leave New Zealand due to international travel restrictions when their current visa expires. “.