Bangladeshi nationals stopped from boarding NZ-bound flight in Malaysia, believed to be victims of a job visa scam

Twenty-five Bangladeshi nationals who did not hold required visas have been stopped from boarding a flight to New Zealand from Malaysia.

The men, who were travelling from Kuala Lumpur with electronic travel authorities enabling a stopover in New Zealand, are believed to be victims of a job visa scam.

They were intercepted by Immigration New Zealand (INZ), stopped from boarding their flight and had their NZeTAs cancelled.

Alerts have also been placed on the Bangladeshi men for stricter scrutiny over any future travel attempts.

“The group was denied boarding on a flight to Auckland after routine checks identified eligibility concerns that raised red flags in our system,” Peter Elms, INZ’s national manager (border), said.

INZ’s airline liaison officer, based in Kuala Lumpur, found subsequently that the travellers’ true intent was to enter New Zealand to work, and not to join a cruise or transit to Australia.

The agency’s preliminary inquiries indicated an unknown agent might have misled the group into believing they had valid work visas for New Zealand.

INZ said it was pursuing leads to identify those behind the scam “but locating those involved in situations like this may be challenging”.

“We take these situations very seriously and acted swiftly to prevent a potential border breach,” Elms said.

“This incident serves as a prime example of our commitment to proactively managing risk offshore and protecting the integrity of the immigration system and New Zealand border.”

Elms said migrants seeking to work in New Zealand needed to be very careful so that they were not being tricked out of their money and falsely offered jobs.

“We advise people to protect themselves by checking with the companies involved, to ensure any offers are genuine,” he said.

“Anyone who is a victim of a visa scam should report it to their local law enforcement agencies in their country of residence, or the country where the scam occurred.”

There are 212 active investigations on accredited employers underway by INZ as at April 17, 2024.