Monday, November 19, 2012



Immigration policy for sale

First China Southern Airlines, now another Chinese company wants special immigration treatment for it staff:

New Zealand is considering providing special visa processing for employees of controversial Chinese telecommunications company Huawei.

[...]

It can now be revealed Huawei wants "an alternative way" for some its employees to meet requirements to obtain visitor visas.

Immigration NZ head Steve Stuart said Huawei Technologies had applied to have requirements to prove sufficient funds and employment for its employees waived.

"The proposal is still being discussed by Immigration NZ and this consideration is at a very early stage."


The fact that they're even discussing it is deeply disturbing. China may run on special favours and secret deals, but that's not how we're supposed to do things in New Zealand. We're supposed to have rules, transparent and applied equally to all. The idea of one company being able to evade normal requirements simply because it wants to ought to be an anathema. Sadly, it now seems to be becoming common under National.