Screenshot of INZ website
By Gurbir Singh,Hamilton (New Zealand), April 25, 2018:
New Zealand attracts thousands of migrants every year with varied skills – from bus drivers to professional teachers.
Would you be surprised to know that the world’s oldest profession – prostitution, also finds a place in the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) list, at serial number 451813?
This listing as a ‘Sex Worker or Escort’‘- ‘providing clients with sexual services or social companionship’, ANZSCO level 5, is available on the Immigration NZ website.
It is considered as an employment skill and would-be migrants could claim points if they meet the criteria including having a recognised qualification or have at least three years of relevant work experience; have a formal offer of employment with an hourly rate of or above $36.44 per hour,with 40 hours weekly roster to qualify.
However, as ‘Sex Worker or Escort’ is not on the Long term or Immediate skills shortage list of New Zealand, chances of someone actually securing a visa by claiming these points is low.
The New Zealand Association of Migration and Investment (NZAMI) had not come across anyone claiming points as a skilled sex worker as reported in the local newspaper,Herald.
Although prostitution is a lawful occupation, yet it is illegal for temporary migrants, such as those on student or work visas, to provide sexual services in New Zealand.
Prostitution Reform Act 2003 states that only New Zealand citizens and residents could legally work in the sex industry.
Recently, however, there have been cases where temporary migrants –international students on study visas and tourists on visitor visas, have been caught offering commercial sex services and deported.
There is big money in flesh trade, and local sex workers have been complaining to Immigration authorities to punish those who are here on temporary visits, and work illegally in this trade.
One local (legal) sex worker is reported to have claimed that her income had halved from about $12,000 weekly to about $6000 in the last two years because of illegal workers in her field of profession. This could be definitely true as a young Korean sex worker who was arrested by police, is said to have earned $32,875 after working for 20 days.
---
Gurbir Singh is a New Zealand-based Freelance Feature Writer & Journalist. He can be contacted at: gurbir@journalist.com