Stories by Gill Bonnett
News
Only 23 invoices paid for managed isolation fees in first seven weeks
Almost nine out of 10 of all applications to waive managed isolation charges have been approved.
NZ First pledges to create rural visa scheme
New Zealand First wants to lure immigrants into towns and smaller cities under a new rural visa scheme.
'Unethical' immigration refund process challenged
An embryologist who could not take up a job in New Zealand because of the border closure says it is unethical for authorities to keep hold of the immigration fees she and others have paid.
Election 2020: Immigration reset or a new normal?
NZ First says mass immigration should be consigned to the past, National wants to introduce a tech visa and Labour says there will be a new normal. RNZ looks at the immigration debate behind this… Audio
Uncertainty for immigrants as visa extensions fail to materialise
Immigrants waiting for news on their visas expiring tomorrow have been told they can use a media release to show employers they are still eligible to work.
Stranded backpackers 'really just want to pitch in to help'
Backpackers in New Zealand who bought visas from companies connected with STA Travel are pleading with immigration officials to let them access the jobs they were promised. Audio
Border closure six months on: History-making and life-changing
Today marks six months since New Zealand's border closed for the first time in its history.
More abuse fielded by Immigration NZ staff
Immigration New Zealand staff have been facing increasing abuse and threats from people in "desperate" situations.
Overseas employees on full pay, NZ staff struggle with tech
Staff at overseas government offices who have been off work during lockdown have remained on full pay - at an estimated cost of $7 million.
Immigration changes: Landscape shifts for workers, visitors and employers
Analysis - No fewer than five announcements in the last week have changed the immigration landscape for some workers, visitors and employers, Gill Bonnett writes.
Govt to help stranded immigrants fly home
The government has agreed to pay for repatriation flights for stranded immigrants who cannot afford to buy tickets to their home countries.
Covid turmoil stops parents reaching overseas surrogate babies
Families with surrogate babies being born overseas are struggling to collect them because of international border restrictions and pandemic turmoil.
Border policies could hurt overseas investment, lawyer warns
An immigration lawyer says New Zealand stands to lose overseas investors if the country's border entry policies thwart its economic recovery.
Visa delays could make 77-year-old an overstayer
One of thousands of coronavirus-stranded visitors in New Zealand says the long wait for news about extending visas has left him fearful of becoming an overstayer.
Covid-19: Wealthy Americans flock to invest in NZ
Wealthy Americans are leading a surge in foreign investors seeking a safe haven in New Zealand from their coronavirus-ravaged countries and economies.
Family at centre of rumours struggling with online abuse
Fears about how the new coronavirus got past the border and back into the community is driving rumour, misinformation and online bullying, community leaders are warning.
Gunpoint threats for opening a school - family resettled in NZ
A family who received death threats for running a school in Colombia aimed at saving children from a life of crime have been told they can stay in New Zealand.
Vaping law 'a tepid win' in halting youth increase
Vaping legislation has come too late to stop a new generation of non-smokers becoming addicted to nicotine, according to a marketing scholar who has researched the use of e-cigarettes.
Privacy breaches at INZ: 'We open up our whole lives to them'
A couple fear a privacy breach at Immigration New Zealand show safeguards on personal information are not adequate.
Auckland to replicate info hub for stranded immigrants
Plans are underway for an information hub in Auckland to help immigrants stranded or jobless because of Covid-19 and desperate for news on visas.
'Tricky and vulnerable situation' - Visa applicants desperate for clarity
Families who were on the cusp of gaining residence when coronavirus struck are in despair that they may lose their immigration dream at the final hurdle.
Report outlines distrust, claims of bullying, in refugee decision process
An independent review of the way decisions are made about refugees has found the relationship between some lawyers and officials has broken down, amid allegations of discrimination and bullying.
Border restrictions eased for sportspeople, critical workers
Participants in more than a dozen sporting events and workers in 60 infrastructure projects can now qualify to fly into New Zealand.
Govt allowed 26 Rocket Lab employees to enter NZ
The exemption for Rocket Lab, to support three launches, falls in the same category that allowed a film crew for an Avatar sequel to enter New Zealand.
'We're stuck': Frustration as stranded family endures life in a shed
A school principal says his students, locked out of the country by border closures, are trying their best to keep up with their schoolwork - despite living in a shed in South Africa.