Visa fraud: How an Indian-origin man duped New Zealand's immigration system

Indian-origin man in New Zealand jailed to home detention for charging up to $30,000 in a visa fraud scheme using fake jobs and wage records

A 59-year-old Indian-origin man has been sentenced to nine months’ home detention and a further six months’ post-detention conditions after a long-running immigration fraud scheme was uncovered by authorities in New Zealand.

 

Umesh Patel appeared in the Waitākere District Court on Wednesday and pleaded guilty to several offences linked to creating false employment arrangements for foreign nationals seeking visas, according to Immigration New Zealand (INZ), a government agency.

 

How the scheme worked

 

Applicants were told to pay between $10,000 and $30,000 (approximately Rs 26.4 lakh) for his services. They were then asked to transfer money into company accounts to make it look like business income. Patel would return the money as wages after deducting PAYE tax, giving the impression of genuine employment.

 

 

These fake wage payments and documents were then used to mislead Immigration New Zealand (INZ) and secure visa approvals.

 

According to investigators, some of Patel’s companies had been legitimate earlier but were later used to invent jobs and file fraudulent paperwork.

 

“This was a calculated and exploitative scheme that undermined the integrity of New Zealand’s immigration system,” said Steve Watson, general manager of immigration compliance and investigations in a press release.

 

“While some of the individuals involved may have performed limited work, in many cases there was never any intention to provide real employment. This type of offending is serious and will not be tolerated,” he said.

 

Associates brought into the operation

 

Patel also recruited people who had already secured residence through his operation and registered them as company directors. INZ said many of them had little to no control of the companies, while Patel continued to run everything behind the scenes.

 

Officials believe this method helped him hide his involvement and expand the scale of the scheme.

 

INZ reviewing immigration status of applicants

 

Authorities are still examining the status of individuals who used Patel’s services and whether any action is required.

 

“INZ is committed to upholding the integrity of the immigration system and ensuring it operates fairly for all,” Watson said.

 

“This case demonstrates that those who deliberately mislead immigration authorities and exploit the system for personal gain will be identified and held to account.”