News report · Checked 21 October 2026.
Immigration New Zealand has issued a fresh warning about fees charged to secure employment after the Employment Court clarified that the prohibition also applies to overseas payments. The agency’s warning about overseas payments for jobs, published on 20 October, is particularly relevant to people being recruited from abroad for New Zealand jobs.
What the court clarified
The underlying Labour Inspector v Top Produce Ltd, Employment Court judgment was delivered on 8 October. It addressed whether section 12A of the Wages Protection Act applies when an employer, or someone acting for an employer, seeks or receives a premium for a New Zealand job and all or part of the transaction happens overseas.
The court’s interpretation closes an important geographical argument: an offshore transaction does not place a job premium outside the prohibition. The INZ announcement says the protection also covers payments made on a prospective employee’s behalf by relatives, friends or agents, and payments collected by people acting for the employer.
Why this matters to applicants
A recruitment demand may be described as a placement deposit, guarantee or fee for securing an offer. The question worth examining is what the payment actually buys and who receives it. Calling a payment something else does not resolve whether it is a prohibited premium for employment.
Keep the job advertisement, written offer, recruiter’s details, messages, invoice and payment instructions. If money has already changed hands, preserve transfer records and any explanation of the purpose. A clear sequence of events is more useful than relying on a verbal promise that the fee will eventually be refunded.
INZ urges people who believe they have been pressured or misled to report the matter. The announcement also explains a limitation: the immigration agency cannot itself recover premiums paid in a job scam, although it can pursue accountability options concerning employers.
That means reporting and recovering money are separate steps. Applicants should not assume that a report guarantees reimbursement or a visa. The practical value of this week’s warning is clarity: overseas recruitment arrangements deserve the same scrutiny as demands made inside New Zealand, and a family member paying on the worker’s behalf is not a workaround.
Official sources
- Overseas payments for New Zealand jobs are illegal
- Labour Inspector v Top Produce Ltd, Employment Court judgment
Sources reviewed on 21 Oct 2026. Requirements can change and depend on your nationality and circumstances. This article is general information, not a personal eligibility assessment.
