Cook Islands Chamber of Commerce says it is working behind the scenes to get immigration concerns addressed.

The proposed immigration policy changes considered by the National Labour Advisory Board (NLAB) in September last year are sitting with Prime Minister Mark Brown for his approval.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration has acknowledged delays in proposed immigration policy changes due to workload and has promised implementation over 12 months with reviews.

Last week Secretary Tepaeru Herrmann said the ministry “acknowledges with regret” the delay in progressing the changes as endorsed by NLAB in September and thanked stakeholders for their patience while the proposed changes progress through the necessary ministerial approval processes.

In a written statement late last week, Cook Islands Chamber of Commerce vice chair Eve Hayden said  

the chamber had received many contacts from members in recent weeks regarding where things are at with the proposed Immigration changes “we understand are in the pipeline”.

“Some of these proposed changes are expected to address some of our real concerns that are resulting in cancelled bookings along with other key areas.

“It is evident on social media as well, that this is happening now due to what is seen as excessive extension fees is one example.”

Cook Islands News has reached out to MFAI for an update.

“You may have seen the recent comments on what some of these proposed changes may look like, and many of these are as a direct result of the work going on in the background by your Chamber representatives on the National Labour Advisory Board (NLAB) and by others lobbying and advocating for change,” Hayden said.

“The Chamber represents the Employers on the National Labour Advisory Board (NLAB) and we were party to what the proposed changes may be but are bound by confidentiality on that Board.

“We have been in contact with the immigration representative on NLAB, the Principal Immigration Officer Chere Arthur several times to get updates, and you will have seen a media release from MFAI stating that they are now sitting with the Prime Minister for his approval.

“As an interim, we note that there is some discretion being applied in certain cases to address some matters relating to the pro-rata International visa fees and international visa extension fees, and we suggest you contact immigration staff in the first instance to discuss.

“As previously communicated to our members, there are a lot of matters on the table with respect to labour at the moment, and we hope to provide some information on a workshop we are hoping to get funding for and be able to hold sometime in March. This workshop will cover off all of the proposed legislation reviews, new proposed Acts, and there will be plenty of time to ensure we are all aware of the changes and the implications for us as business owners and employers.”