Employer Bulletin | 14 August
Leisheng (Leonard) Cheng, owner of Great Taste restaurant in Dunedin, has been fined $11,900 after being sentenced in the Dunedin District Court on August 7, 2023. Cheng pleaded guilty to three offenses under the Immigration Act 2009 and Crimes Act 1961, which carry a maximum penalty of $50,000 each. The charges relate to employing individuals without the proper visas in New Zealand. One person was working without a valid visa, another exceeded the allowed hours on a student visa, and a third worked while on a visitor visa. Cheng, who owns multiple hospitality businesses, has supported visa applications for staff before and is familiar with the immigration system. The conviction serves as a warning to businesses that such offenses will be prosecuted and visa rules must be followed.
In today's Bulletin
- Work to Residence eligibility extended to non-AEWV holders
- Dunedin businessman convicted and sentenced over immigration offending
- Teachers agree to 14.5% pay rise
- Government backing regional jobs and onshore manufacturing to grow economy
- Increased pay and new sick leave entitlements for Recognised Seasonal Employer workers
- Five Employment Relations Authority cases and five Bills open for public submission
