New Zealand Immigration visa processing for Samoans has come under fire from a travel agent, who said it’s become frustrating for them and their clients.
Jackie Fepulea’i of Global Travel in Apia said the application process is inconsistent and inconvenient, particularly for people wanting to travel for a funeral.
The biggest frustration is having to apply for visas online, with many clients in rural areas having no access to computers and most are computer illiterate.
She told Samoa Observer that one of the main concerns they have, which is experienced on a daily basis, is the lack of a prompt reply from the Immigration Office to their clients’ visa applications.
Fepulea’i added New Zealand Immigration Office has “no compassion and empathy,” especially for those needing urgent visas due to funerals of loved ones in New Zealand.
She said it’s frustrating having to wait for online visas, especially for funerals.
Immigration New Zealand told the newspaper via email that since May 2022, Samoan nationals wanting to visit New Zealand must apply for their visa online.
“It’s ridiculous because a lot of these people are travelling from the rural areas, they have to catch the early bus to make it to town and they are usually in a rush to catch the bus to go back home,” said Fepulea’i.
A Cabinet Minister in Samoa recently questioned the differences in issuing visas for the New Zealand-run Recognized Seasonal Employment (RSE) scheme compared to others trying to visit families in Aotearoa.
Leatinu’u Wayne So’oialo said it’s only a two-day wait for a visa under the RSE scheme.
“But when your mother or father applies for a visa to visit relatives or go to a funeral, they’ll have to wait for two months and it’s up to the New Zealand Immigration if it’s granted or not,” he said.
