Media release
Philippine national sentenced in Manukau District Court for immigration related offending
Published
07 July 2025
Julia Pearl Buaquina DE LOS SANTOS has been sentenced in the Manukau District Court to 7 months Home Detention and $25,000 in reparations for providing false and misleading information to Immigration New Zealand (INZ).
Between 3 and 23 April 2024, De Los Santos submitted 5 work visa applications to INZ using fabricated Certificates of Employment (CoEs), falsely claiming the applicants had relevant work experience in the Philippines. She created RealMe identity accounts for each applicant, making it appear the applications were submitted by the individuals themselves. The names and professional credentials of 3 Filipino civil engineers were used to create the fake CoEs.
De Los Santos charged each applicant a fee equivalent to $11,000 NZD for her services, which included the promise of full-time employment in New Zealand. She also arranged payment of the visa application fees and embassy requirements, using her own credit card for 2 of the submissions. All 5 visa applications were approved based on the false and misleading information.
On arrival in New Zealand, the applicants were housed in accommodation arranged by De Los Santos, alongside other migrants who had used her services. Many of these individuals did not receive the employment they were promised and were forced to leave New Zealand.
Steve Watson, General Manager Immigration Investigations and Compliance says “this case was more than just deceiving Immigration New Zealand, but also part of a broader scheme targeting vulnerable and trusting migrant workers. These individuals paid significant amounts of money to De Los Santos, who posed as a legitimate agent and recruiter from the Philippines, promising them employment opportunities in New Zealand”.
“We are committed to protecting the integrity of New Zealand’s immigration system by holding individuals accountable when they deliberately mislead authorities and exploit vulnerable migrants.”
De Los Santos had also set up a company in New Zealand that became accredited under the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) scheme called RDS Wonders Contract Limited. Following the investigation into other Immigration related offending by De Los Santos, the company’s accreditation was revoked by INZ and the company has since gone into liquidation. 16 migrant workers under RDS Wonders have been granted Migrant Exploitation Protection Visas (MEPV) based on claims of unpaid wages, wages deductions, and breaches under the Holidays Act 2003.
In addition, 12 known associates of De Los Santos now face deportation proceedings for various breaches of immigration regulations.
INZ continues to strengthen its compliance tools to detect and prevent fraudulent activity and urges anyone with information about immigration offences to come forward.