A 30-YEAR-OLD woman from Thailand is in hot water after she went to New Zealand on a visitor’s visa and started working as a magosha to help pay her gogo’s medical bills and funeral.
In New Zealand, it is illegal to do sex work if one is visiting on a temporary visa.
According to nzherald.com, the unidentified woman moved in 2019 on a visitor’s visa before getting a student visa, that allowed her to work for up to 20 hours, but not in the sex industry. She was exposed after immigration authorities received an anonymous call, claiming she had been working in the commercial sex industry while holding a student visa.
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It is reported that compliance officers approached the woman as the matter raised a few concerns. She told officials that she had temporarily worked online as an escort and provided sexual services while holding a student visa.
“I was trying to financially support my family to pay for my grandmother’s medical and funeral expenses. I no longer work in the sex industry and I’m in a stable genuine partnership. I also have a small business that contributes to the local economy,” the woman told them.
The publication reports that despite her efforts to explain, her visa was declined because she had provided sexual services while on a temporary visa. As a result, she is now facing deportation.
