Case files: The wedding trip to India that ended his New Zealand life
Artwork for representational purposes.
The officer asked him questions about his job interview from two years earlier. He could not remember every detail.
Sachin had a bright future in New Zealand. He had a job, a valid work visa, and a life he had built here. Then he flew home to India to get married.
When he tried to come back to New Zealand, he was stopped at the airport, interviewed, and his Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) was cancelled. He never made it back to his home in Auckland.
Sachin held a five-year AEWV valid until 2029. Last September, he took six weeks off to return to India for his wedding. When he checked in at Changi Airport in Singapore for his flight to New Zealand, he was asked to speak by phone with an INZ border officer in Auckland.
The officer asked him questions about his job interview from two years earlier. He could not remember every detail from a conversation that happened years earlier.
INZ said his answers were “inconsistent”. They said his job offer did not seem to be genuine because he had not received holiday pay while he was in India.
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He was refused boarding on his flight to Auckland, and his visa was cancelled. His job was still in Auckland. His home was still there. But he could not go back.
Immigration adviser Ankur Sabharwal is now helping Sachin get back to New Zealand. (Supplied photo)
Sachin is not the only one
If you or someone you know holds a work visa and you think this could not happen to you, read on.
In 2025, INZ cancelled 1,770 AEWVs held by people who were outside New Zealand. That was more than double the 686 cancellations between February and December 2024.
Already in the first 11 weeks of 2026, another 295 AEWVs have been cancelled.
INZ cancels other types of temporary visas held by people outside New Zealand, but two-thirds of visas cancelled in 2025 were AEWVs. Indian nationals made up nearly a quarter of visa cancellations, second only to Chinese nationals.
What's happening
INZ lists four main reasons for why AEWVs are being cancelled when holders are outside New Zealand.
The individual’s employment has ended, or it is no longer considered ongoing and full-time. Or, when there are doubts about the genuineness of the role. Or, if a visa holder is in breach of visa conditions. Fourth, when the visa holder no longer meets the requirements for their visa.
INZ has confirmed that border officers act on alerts in their system. These alerts flag visa holders who may have an issue. Officers can also identify cases through flight monitoring and other checks.
Once a passenger has been flagged as high risk, INZ interviews them by phone at the airport, as it did in Sachin’s case.
INZ will ask about the job you are doing, where you are working, how many hours you are working, your rate of pay, and your holiday pay. If any of these details are different from what you told INZ in your previous visa application, it could lead to your visa being cancelled.
How to protect yourself
If you or someone you know holds an AEWV and you are planning to travel outside New Zealand, here is what you should do before you leave.
Get a letter from your employer: It should clearly say that your leave has been approved and that your job is waiting for you when you return. This is particularly important if you will be staying longer than a month outside New Zealand.
Revise your original visa application before you travel: Remind yourself what you told INZ in your previous AEWV application and the work experience evidence you provided.
Details of the recruitment process: INZ will likely ask you to explain the recruitment process starting from how and when you first became aware of the job opportunity up to the point when you received your employment contract. Remember the dates of your job interview and what you were asked.
Carry your documents with you: In your bag or on your laptop, keep records of your employment contract, pay slips, and a leave confirmation letter issued by your employer confirming your ongoing employment.
Get advice: If you are unsure about anything, speak to a licensed immigration adviser before you leave New Zealand.
Holding a valid visa does not guarantee that you can enter New Zealand. Even if your visa is valid for several years, you may be stopped from boarding your flight to New Zealand after a phone call with no licensed immigration adviser or lawyer present and no time to prepare.
My client Sachin went home to get married. He wanted to celebrate with his family, then start his married life in New Zealand.
Instead, he lost everything he had built here. Cases like his are not unusual. They are becoming more common.
Do not wait until you are standing at check-in. Prepare for your return trip to New Zealand by being ready to answer INZ’s questions if you are asked.
(Ankur Sabharwal is a Licensed Immigration Adviser and founder of Visa Matters, an Auckland-based immigration advisory firm. He is a regular immigration commentator on TVNZ and has also been published by Stuff and The Post.)
