Immigration Consultant Fined $21000 in New Zealand

An immigration consultant in New Zealand has been ordered to pay $21000 as a result of investigation conducted by the Immigration Advisors Complaints and Disciplinary Tribunal.

The immigration advisor, Rajesh Kumar, was alleged withholding the passport of his client and demanded to pay $1000 to return it in addition to $3600 he already received.

Kumar provided advice to another client about his work visa; however, he got into a position where he was living in New Zealand illegally.

Mr. Kumar came up with an excuse that he lost his memory and cannot either recognize his clients or differentiate between imagination and reality. He did not provide any independent report to support his claim.

The tribunal’s chairperson said, “I was left in no doubt from Mr Kumar’s attitude and actions, he thought his professional standing would allow him to exploit a client with impunity, and he systematically sought to do so in this case.”

He told the tribunal he could not ask for a second opinion on his immigration advice because he did not know anyone more experienced than himself.

Registrar Barry Smedts said, “People using licensed immigration advisers are more likely to get their money back if things go wrong.”

On the first case Kumar was ordered to pay $1500 in compensation, a penalty of $7500 and prevented from reapplying for an immigration adviser licence for two years.  On the second case he was ordered to pay compensation of $8276 and a penalty of $4000.

Tags: Immigration, immigration consultant, New Zealand, New Zealand Immigration, work permit, Work visa