Christchurch employer sentenced for immigration offences

Christchurch-based employer has been sentenced to four-months home detention after pleading guilty to two charges of providing false or misleading information to Immigration New Zealand.

Christchurch-based employer, Ava Young has been sentenced to four-months home detention after pleading guilty to two charges of providing false or misleading information to Immigration New Zealand and one charge of aiding and abetting the breach of visa conditions.

Young recruited a Thai national from overseas and facilitated their entry to New Zealand on a visitor visa. False information was provided by Young in support of the individuals visitor visa application, supporting the application by stating they were related.  

This was untrue. They were not related and the individual did not know Young prior to being offered a job by her and the application being submitted to Immigration New Zealand.  

Young also charged 150,000THB (approximately NZ$7,500) for the job and applying for the visa, a debt the individual owed to Young. 

Soon after their arrival in Auckland in March 2024, the individual was informed by Young that she would be living and working there. Young took photos of the individual so that she could advertise her services provided from premises that Young managed.  

Later that day the individual received a message from Young that a customer was coming to see her. The message was an appointment for the individual to have sex with a client and included the time, cost and duration of the service.

Young would charge the individual a 35% fee on her earnings, as well as rent and expenses and kept a schedule of the debt which she would regularly send to the individual.

The individual provided massage and sex services at the direction of Young at various addresses in Auckland until June 2024, when she stopped working for Young after clearing her debt.

MBIE commenced their investigation after receiving a complaint that a female Thai national was breaching her visa conditions and being forced to work in a massage parlour and provide sexual services to clients.

The investigation led to the execution of six search warrants at addresses across Auckland and Christchurch, which ultimately resulted in Young’s arrest.

“This case represents a serious breach of trust and responsibility,” said Steve Watson, General Manager of Immigration Investigations and Compliance. “Their actions compromised the integrity of New Zealand’s immigration system”
  
“The individual arrived in New Zealand expecting legitimate work opportunities, but was instead misled and treated in a manner that was both unlawful and deeply unfair”

While the offending was serious, the Court applied sentencing discounts for early guilty plea, previous good character and took account of the defendant’s personal circumstances and determined that a non-custodial sentence with strict conditions would still hold Young accountable.

“The individual arrived in New Zealand expecting legitimate work opportunities, but was instead misled and treated in a manner that was both unlawful and deeply unfair”

“Immigration New Zealand remains committed to identifying, investigating, and holding to account those who take advantage of others for personal gain” says Mr Watson.

We encourage anyone with any knowledge of immigration fraud or exploitation to come forward.

To make a report, contact the MBIE reporting line.

0800 200 088

To report an issue anonymously, call Crimestoppers.

0800 555 111