Immigration NZ confirmed that of the 18 people who had entered the country to take part in an event alongside Bollywood singer Shibani Kashyap on February 21, only three had returned to India, The New Zealand Herald reported.
Of the 15 remaining in New Zealand four hold valid visitor visas. The other visas expired on March 6, Immigration New Zealand (INZ) visa director Jock Gilray said.
Gilray said the department was “prioritising contact with those who are here unlawfully on a case-by-case basis” but was unable to provide further detail for privacy reasons.
Kashyap also visited New Zealand last year and performed at Independence Day events organised by Delhi-based CD Foundation, RNZ reported.
‘Fraudulent documents used for some Indian performers’
Gilray also confirmed that fraudulent documents were used for visa applications for some members of the performer group, resulting in 13 short-term limited visas being approved instead of regular visitor visas to “mitigate concerns”.
“A robust and fair assessment process was applied to the individuals making up this group, including collaboration with our risk and verification teams in India,” he said.
“INZ verified that the event was genuine, including consultation with the Indian Consul General in Auckland who confirmed they were supporting the event,” he said.
Previous fraudulent visa row with Indian truck drivers in NZ
In November last year hundreds of Indian truck drivers had their commercial licences suspended by New Zealand transport authorities after an audit found fraudulent documents were used in their applications.
The following month New Zealand PM Christopher Luxon announced the conclusion of a Free Trade Agreement with India, adding thousands of working visa places for Indians and placing no caps on student visa numbers.
The Indian Consulate in Auckland and the Indian High Commission have not commented on the matter.