Immigration New Zealand is “assessing” the visit of YouTube star IShowSpeed after confirming he does not have the visa required to work in the country.
IShowSpeed or Speed, whose real name is Darren Jason Watkins Jr, has been touring New Zealand, filming a series of livestreams for a broadcast to YouTube and his audience of 33 million subscribers.
In a statement to 1News, Immigration New Zealand general manager risk and border Richard Owen confirmed Speed was on a visitor visa to New Zealand, after travelling to the country as a visa-waiver traveller.
“A person cannot work in New Zealand while holding a visitor visa.
“In general, individuals require a work visa (or hold a visa with conditions that allow for work) to engage in activities that result in gain or reward (such as payment) during their time in New Zealand,” Owen said.
“In assessing this case, we will follow our standard compliance procedures.”
On the Immigration NZ website, it stated: “When a report is made about a possible immigration breach or offence, an assessment is made to determine the veracity and severity of the allegation and how it is best addressed.”
Immigration NZ said the YouTube star is on a visitor visa, and “a person cannot work in New Zealand while holding a visitor visa”. (Source: Breakfast)
‘INZ has the choice’ – expert
Immigration adviser Ankur Sabharwal from Visa Matters told Breakfast this morning: “If he’s monetising the video’s he’s streaming during his travel in New Zealand — in other words, if he’s receiving a payment from YouTube for streaming these videos — then he’s working in New Zealand, and visitor visa conditions do not allow work.
“What he needs to do is apply for a work visa before he travels to New Zealand next time.”
Sabharwal said the easiest way to find out if Speed is being paid for the videos he’s filming in New Zealand would be to ask him.
“I don’t know whether INZ would do that, or they’ve done that, but INZ is actually not required to prove anything here,” he added. “If they feel that he’s breaching his visa conditions by working in this country while he holds a visitor visa which doesn’t allow work, then they could simply serve him a deportation liability notice.
“When someone’s breaching their visa conditions, INZ has the choice to decide whether they want to investigate it further or they just simply want to serve them a deportation liability notice.
“In this particular case, I think they are more than likely to have a word with him or his team,” Sabharwal said.
A deportation liability notice “doesn’t mean you can be deported straightaway — it simply begins the process”, Community Law explains on its website.
“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,” the organisation said.
“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.
“After they’ve made a deportation order, you can still ask Immigration New Zealand to cancel the order. They have a broad power to do this.”
Speed has built a huge following on YouTube after gaining attention through his online content in 2021. He is known for his wild stunts, high energy, and collaborations with celebrities.
Recently, he has been visiting a variety of countries and livestreaming his travels to his YouTube audience.
Earlier this week, Speed was swarmed by hundreds of young fans at the base of the Sky Tower in Auckland.
The internet personality spent the day travelling across the city, visiting professional Kiwi boxer Dan Hooker and looking at the views from the top of the Sky Tower. Groups of fans could be seen chasing his van as it left the venue at the time.
Breakfast has attempted to contact Speed and his representatives but has not yet had a response.
