Immigration New Zealand is aware of a large skilled labour hire agency in the construction and manufacturing sector that has gone into receivership, ELE Limited, who have employees on Accredited Employer Work Visas (AEWV).
We appreciate that this situation will be very difficult news for these employees.
As at 31 January, we have identified 361 migrant workers linked to ELE Limited, mostly made up of builders, labourers and carpenters. Of this total 302 are currently in New Zealand and 59 are overseas. This is an updated number from earlier estimates following a further data reconciliation and excludes any workers who may be on open work visas or New Zealand residents or citizens.
We are working closely with the employer, the employees, and other interested parties to ensure these workers can remain in New Zealand lawfully, and explore options for those who are still overseas.
We have set up a dedicated email address for those impacted by this situation to discuss their options going forward:
AEWVworkerresponse@mbie.govt.nz
Due to the developing nature of this situation, we are unable to confirm any additional details at this stage, but addressing this situation and providing a timely outcome is a number one priority for us.