A Christchurch restaurant owner has been sentenced after pleading guilty to multiple charges of breaching immigration law.

Xinchen Liu, sole director and shareholder of Japanese eatery Samurai Bowl Ltd on Colombo Street, has been given six-months’ home detention and fined $10,000.

Immigration investigators found Liu knowingly supplied false or misleading information to immigration officers when they visited her restaurant in May 2021, says Jason Perry, National Manager Investigations.

Liu told them a migrant at the premises was not working for her. However, other immigration officers were at her Papanui restaurant where they found the individual working as a chef. The workers had been rostered to work every day that week on a roster Liu supplied.

Liu then told the immigration officer that the migrant had a visa and could work for her company when she knew that was not true. Liu also claimed the migrant was volunteering for 20 hours a week, when they were employed as a chef and had been rostered on to work between 37 and 78 hours per week for the previous 50 weeks.

In addition, Liu pleaded guilty for aiding and abetting three employees to breach their visa conditions and work for her when she knew they were not entitled to do so. Liu’s business was sentenced to a related charge.

Of the three workers involved in this case, one chose to leave New Zealand while the others remained in NZ on valid visas, working with INZ to ensure they continued to comply with immigration requirements.

“Today’s sentence sends a strong message that breaching immigration law and knowingly supplying false or misleading information to Immigration officials will not be tolerated and anyone doing so will be held to account,” says Mr Perry.

For further information email media@mbie.govt.nz

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