Visa decision labelled cruel, grossly unfair

Clint Williams, centre, with employers Reuben Bogue and Angela Spackman. Photo / Mountain Scene

A Queenstown joinery company is fighting an Immigration New Zealand (INZ) decision to exile a highly-valued employee, who’s also an elite athlete, on health grounds.

UK-born Clint Williams spent some time working for Formatt Bespoke Joinery Co, where he’s workshop manager, for pretty much eight years.

For the reason that time he’s had two brain surgeries for cancerous tumours.

However , he’s not only fully recovered from the last one, he is successfully competing at a high level in long-distance runs and triathlons, and is training for the total Taupo Ironman in March.

INZ last month declined the 34-year-old’s application for an essential skills visa, for another three years, alleging his health is not of an acceptable standard and it’s highly probable he’ll be a further drain on the public health system in this era.

That decision is under appeal.

Formatt co-owner Reuben Bogue calls INZ’s position “grossly unfair” and “cruel”.

“Clint’s got an ailment, but we also know that he manages it very well, and I think he’s got a lot more to give. ”

He says “there’s very, very few around with the amount of experience and technical skills to complete the job, so from a professional point of view he sets the standard — he certainly sets the standard across our floor”.

Co-owner Angela Spackman says, as required by INZ, they advertised his job to NZers, but nobody suitable came forward.

In a letter to INZ, she and Bogue state: “Shortages in the construction industry, coupled with the approaching ‘shovel-ready’ infrastructure projects, imply that Immigration NZ should not be sending proven workers with essential skills offshore.

“It would be economic mismanagement … to send skilled labour overseas. ”

Spackman says Williams also trains their apprentices the government’s thinking about putting through the system.

“I just think it’s out of balance for what he’s contributing [versus] the costs he may incur.

“Who know when he might need some health care — we all might. ”

She says “on a day-to-day basis Clint is an exceedingly healthy man”.

Using Southern District Health Board evidence, she refutes INZ’s contention it’s highly probable he’ll need “expensive medical intervention in the next three years”.

Spackman says additionally it is unfair on Williams’ UK-born partner, Pinewood Lodge manager Abi Barber, whose visa is tied to his.

The pair, Spackman and Bogue have told Immigration, are active members of town and have fundraised for the Cancer Society.

Rather than being fully a burden on the health system, they’d made “a direct, meaningful and positive contribution to it”.

Spackman: “As a business, it’s incredibly frustrating that we have a great staff member who is doing really good work with us, and we feel like the rug’s being pulled from under us.

“It just doesn’t seem fair that a person who is fit and healthy, and as capable as Clint, shouldn’t be able to be part of NZ’s fabric. ”

Williams, a joiner for 15 years, says the situation’s stressful “because you can’t plan anything, and there’s always that fear of, if it gets declined, how long have I obtained before I have to leave? ”

“I’ve got eight years of my life here, so that’s everything — I have nothing left in England. ”

He adds he and Barber have also both lodged residency applications.

Nicola Hogg, INZ’s border and visa ops general manager, says it’s “empathetic” to Williams’ situation and acknowledges he “may currently be in reasonable health”.

However , he’d needed “significant neurosurgical intervention from the general public health system for a brain tumour, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, in 2018”.

“The medical assessment of his application found that there is an ongoing have to monitor the remaining brain tumours, and there is a high probability of him requiring further medical intervention from people health system which is already under some pressure and expensive to provide.

“Therefore, he was confirmed never to have an acceptable standard of health to be granted a temporary work visa. ”