International Roundup

The New Zealand Department of Labor's immigration fraud unit is investigating allegations a former Immigration Service employee kept passports and charged clients for work that was not done. The department last week received four formal complaints about immigration consultant Patrick Ott.

The four complainants said Ott retained their passports and took their money but did not lodge any applications with the department on their behalf.  The amounts of money involved range from $1280 to $7000.

The four complainants, all of whom were in New Zealand unlawfully, had been advised to make an application to the nearest branch of the department if they wished to remain in New Zealand. Their applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

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People from the Gulf states of Bahrain, Oman and Qatar can apply for a tourist visa for Australia on the internet, officials in Canberra told Deutsche Presse-Agentur last week.
Visitors from the three countries now have an alternative to queuing at an Australian immigration office or mailing their passport to an embassy. The Immigration Department said it would take about 20 minutes to complete the electronic application, which would be processed in seven to 10 days.

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