US YouTube star IShowSpeed has caught the attention of Immigration New Zealand (INZ) after it was revealed he doesn’t have the proper visa for his activities in the country.
Speed has been touring New Zealand, live-streaming his adventures through Rotorua and Auckland to his 33.4 million subscribers.
According to 1News, INZ confirmed Speed entered the country on a visitor visa, which doesn’t allow work… which runs into a bit of an issue - as you could imagine - with his daily 4-5 hour live-streams.
Popular streamers like Speed often monetise their content, earning income from their videos uploaded to platforms like YouTube and Twitch. Technically, this means he’s using his time in New Zealand to make money, which counts as work.
Unfortunately, his visitor visa doesn’t cover any conditions that would allow him to profit from his streams while in the country.
INZ general manager Richard Owen said: “A person cannot work in New Zealand while holding a visitor visa. Activities that result in gain or reward, such as payment, require a work visa.” Owen added that INZ is following “standard compliance procedures” to assess Speed’s case.
Immigration adviser Ankur Sabharwal told Breakfast this morning that the quickest way to confirm a breach, is to simply ask Speed or his team.
However, Sabharwal added that INZ doesn’t need to prove payment. “If they feel he’s breaching conditions, they could simply issue a deportation liability notice.”
Community Law NZ's website explains that a deportation liability notice isn’t an immediate deportation order but starts the process.
"You have various appeal rights (depending on what kind of visa you’ve got and why they’re deporting you) that you can use before you’re deported.”
“Only after you’ve had the chance to use your appeal rights can Immigration NZ then make a deportation order and force you to leave the country.”
In Speed’s case, Sabharwal believes it’s more likely that INZ will simply have a conversation with him or his team, to keep things above board.
It’s not yet confirmed whether Speed will continue to stream during the rest of his time in New Zealand.
