Tourists from some countries are being scrutinised more than others new immigration data shows. Photo / Ian Cooper
Tourists from some countries are being scrutinised more than others new immigration data shows. Photo / Ian Cooper
Travellers to New Zealand from several Muslim-majority and African countries are finding it much harder than others to get visas for a Kiwi holiday, new immigration data released to the Herald shows.
In the past six months, 103 visitor visa applications were lodged from Iraq and 68 were declined. Sixin 10 applicants from Afghanistan and more than half from Syria also failed to get visitor visas to New Zealand.
By contrast, only 5 per cent of those from China and 10 per cent of applications from the United States were turned down.
Professor Paul Spoonley, a Massey University immigration expert, says visa applicants from some countries are being scrutinised more than others. Photo / Dean Purcell
Immigration expert Professor Paul Spoonley said the visitor visa denials indicated that some nationals were scrutinised more closely than others.
"It might well be that some ...'bona fide' visitors are scrutinised more closely than others partly because they come from a war zone, and they could be potential terrorists or that they might seek asylum when they arrive as tourists," said Spoonley, a Massey University sociologist.
There were standard requirements to meet to get a visa, he said, and these include sufficient funds, evidence of onward travel and good health.
"But there is one element that is particularly relevant and which is at the discretion of Immigration New Zealand," Spoonley said.
"This is the 'bona fide' clause which allows INZ to evaluate whether the applicant's intentions are genuine."
Iranian national Masoumeh Johan has repeatedly been denied a visa to come to New Zealand to visit her brother, Majid Joshan, in Auckland. Photo / Supplied
Iranian national Masoumeh Joshan, 23, was declined the tourist visa twice despite providing evidence that she has $220,000 in her bank account to support her stay and strong ties to her home country in being a full-time university student and married to a husband who was not travelling with her.
Joshan wanted to come to visit her 29-year-old brother in Auckland whom she has not seen in nearly 10 years.
"Iran is one of a group of countries that see very high rates of visa refusals with almost 40 per cent of applications declined," Spoonley said.
June Ranson, chair of the NZ Association of Migration and Investment, said it wasn't just Muslim-majority countries that were considered high risk.
"The percentage of decline from Iran is no greater than Nigeria, for example, which had just 97 of the 266 applications approved," Ranson said.
"With the current world situation and terrorism, all countries have tightened their borders. For countries classed as high risk, there are always extra verifications required to keep NZ safe."
Half or more applications from 38 countries, including Kuwait, Palestine and Nigeria, were not approved. However, 25 countries - although some with only one or two applicants - got 100 per cent approvals.
Former immigration minister Tuariki Delamere. Photo / Michael Craig
Tuariki Delamere, a former Immigration Minister, said the countries which had decline rates of 25 per cent or greater came as "no great surprise", with the exception of Israel.
Countries including Iran, Syria and Afghanistan were "high risk for asylum claimants", he said.
"Israel was somewhat surprising given that I am not aware of people on Israeli passports claiming refugee status," he said.
Delamere said Pakistan and India were two countries that had a very high rate of fake documents.
"I imagine that most young persons from India and Pakistan who come here have no intention of returning home," he added.
But Delamere said it was surprising all 22 applicants from Romania were approved "given the bulk of the ATM scammers" were from that country.
An Immigration spokeswoman said visa decisions were made on a case by case basis.
"In general, visa applicants are provided with the reason for any decline in writing, irrespective of whether they are onshore or offshore, or whether it's a temporary or residence application," she said.
"No reasons are required to be provided in cases involving matters of absolute discretion."
On average, the agency rejects about seven in 100 applications for visitor visas.
VISITOR VISA DECLINE RATES
• Yemen - 33 applied, 27 declined (81.8 per cent) • Iraq - 103 applied, 68 declined (66 per cent) • Afghanistan - 89 applied, 53 declined ( 59.6 per cent) • Pakistan - 1160 applied, 501 declined (43.2 per cent) • Iran - 460 applied, 175 declined (38 per cent) • Britain - 584 applied, 83 declined (14.2 per cent) • United States - 1096 applied, 115 declined (10.5 per cent) • China - 180786 applied, 8443 declined (4.7 per cent) • Indonesia - 9462 applied, 158 declined (1.7 per cent)
Total - 309,607 applications, 22454 declined (7.3 per cent)
