Indian Worker In Auckland Claims $19K In Unpaid Wages

Disclaimer: The information in this story comes from the Indian worker’s account.

A former employee, who worked as a food and beverage attendant at an Auckland-based Indian eatery, has alleged that he was not paid wages owed to him, including holiday pay, shortly before his work visa expired.

He also claimed that his employer charged him $30,000 to bring him to New Zealand on a work visa from the Maldives, where he had been employed in the same role.

Mr A, who wished to remain anonymous, told The Indian Weekender that he and three colleagues are owed pending wages.

The India-born worker arrived in New Zealand in 2023 on an Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) to work in the hospitality sector.

“When six months were left on my job visa, my employer started holding one week’s salary every month,” he said. “A total of NZD $19,000 is pending, including holiday pay," he claimed.

Mr A claimed that despite repeated assurances, the employer had not paid his outstanding salary for the past three months. He left the job in July 2025 after his contract expired and began working for a new employer in October, after applying for a visitor visa three days before his previous visa expired (in July) to remain lawfully in New Zealand.

In July 2025 after applying for visitor visa, Mr A applied for a Migrant Exploitation Protection Work Visa (MEPV), which allows eligible migrants to leave exploitative situations while staying legally in the country for up to six months.

To qualify for an MEPV, a migrant must first report the exploitation to Employment Services. If the claim is deemed credible, the agency issues a Report of Exploitation Letter (RoEAL), which enables the applicant to apply for the visa through Immigration New Zealand (INZ).

In Mr A’s case, the visa was declined after Employment Services determined his complaint did not meet the required threshold.
“Employment Services did not issue a RoEAL, and therefore we have not received any application from Mr [name withheld] for a MEPV,” Jason Perry, National Manager Investigations told The Indian Weekender.

Perry added that Mr A is welcome to file a further complaint against his former employer, which will then be assessed and triaged.

Mr A also claimed that his previous employer had promised to assist with his visa extension. “I started preparing for IELTS and PTE courses, spending more on tests and application fees, just three days before the visa was set to expire,” he said.

He claimed he has lodged complaints with Immigration New Zealand and Inland Revenue but has not received a positive response.

According to Mr A, authorities informed him that as a visitor visa holder, he no longer had the right to lodge an employment-related complaint.

"Just three days before my work visa expired, I filed for a visitor visa and then filed the complaints,” he said, expressing concern that this might be a reason for ongoing delays, which could affect his future job prospects.

Disclaimer: The information in this story comes from the Indian worker’s account.