NZ deports 16 Chinese students for visa fraud

Sixteen Chinese students involved in visa application frauds have been deported by New Zealand authorities, Chinese media reported yeaterday.

Forty-nine students have been found to have obtained their visas with fake qualifications and falsified bank statements by New Zealand authorities after three months of investigation, the Oriental Morning Post reported.

The fraudulent applications were thought to have begun in July last year and were uncovered in July this year when a random check of 1,800 applications by the Immigration New Zealand's Beijing office found more than 15 percent, or 279, contained some element of fraud.

A total of 231 students holding visas obtained fraudulently had already been enrolled in schools in New Zealand, local authorities said.

Students involved in the scam claimed they were victims of the fraud, according to the New Zealand Herald.

Some said they were unaware their agents had altered their educational qualifications for application and they were not able to contact the agents after the fraud was uncovered.