Immigration NZ's System Blunder Leaves 500 Employers with Expired Accreditation

Let me just say, this is a shambles, a complete and utter shambles. According to INZ news, around 500 employers and potentially thousands of migrant workers have been thrown into chaos because Immigration New Zealand’s computer system, the ADEPT system, failed to issue some interim accreditations. Now, this system was supposed to be a sophisticated bit of kit designed to streamline the visa renewal process. Instead, what we’ve got is a monumental stuff-up that’s left businesses in limbo and migrant workers uncertain about their futures.

The scheme itself, when it started in 2022, sounded promising. Employers were given a year of accreditation, then in 2023, another year was tacked on with renewals set to begin from July this year. They even had a sensible interim three-month accreditation for those waiting on renewals. But what good is a well-thought-out plan when the technology underpinning it falls over? It’s no good at all.

MBIE has come out with a feeble apology to the 500 affected employers. She assures them they can still employ their current migrant workers but can't submit new job check applications or work visas. That’s cold comfort to businesses trying to keep their operations running smoothly.

The New Zealand Association of Migration and Investment pointed out that not only has this policy failed to protect migrant workers from exploitation, it’s now bogging down employers in bureaucratic compliance. They’re paying fees to Immigration New Zealand but can’t get the necessary paperwork to employ new workers. It’s a classic case of paying for a service and getting nothing but grief in return.

The official line is that the IT solution is complex and they’re working on it. But why weren’t these issues foreseen and sorted before they could wreak such havoc? This isn’t just a minor glitch; it’s a significant failure that’s affecting real people and real businesses.

Employers who need help because their workers' visas are expiring have been told to contact the Immigration New Zealand customer service centre. I’m sure that’s a comforting thought – dealing with yet another layer of bureaucracy when what they need is swift, decisive action to fix this mess.

The bottom line is, this is yet another example of a government system letting people down. It’s not good enough, and it’s time they were held accountable for these continual failures. The businesses and workers of New Zealand deserve better.

And that's the immigration news for Aotearoa today. Follow and subscribe for more immigration content like this. Ka Kite Ano.