During his recent visit to New Zealand, IShowSpeed spent some time with the Warriors. Photo: Supplied / Screenshot
Immigration New Zealand says it looks at potential visa breaches by social media influencers on a case-by-case basis.
A popular US YouTuber IShowSpeed, real name Darren Jason Watkins Junior, has 33 million subscribers on YouTube, with his videos getting three billion views.
But his tour of New Zealand may have left him in hot water, having arrived in this country as a visa-waiver traveller.
Travellers are not legally allowed to work on a visitor visa or NZeTA, the online permit travellers get if they come from a visa waiver country, such as the US.
Watkins - who has courted controversy and been banned from various platforms for misogynist and derogatory comments - was chased down streets and mobbed by fans in New Zealand during his tour of Australasia.
The influencer's visits included Rotorua and Auckland, where he put his rugby league skills to the test at a Warriors training session and took on Kiwi lightweight 'Dan the Hangman' Hooker in a sparring session.
Some work seems to fall into a grey area for travellers, ranging from people who write reviews, work remotely for an overseas company or do a bit of work while they are on holiday.
But as someone who makes money from his videos, Watkins would appear to have been working when he was in New Zealand in the same way as a musician or comedian is while on tour.
Immigration New Zealand (INZ) also issued guidance to staff earlier this year about remote working, saying such activities were work irrespective of whether a New Zealand or overseas company was providing the payment or benefit.
INZ general manager immigration risk and border Richard Owen said 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. Whether or not someone is breaching the conditions of their visa by undertaking activities for gain or reward (eg through writing reviews or monetising social media content) is assessed on a case-by-case basis.
"We encourage visitors to check the rules and conditions of their visa to ensuring that their intended activities in New Zealand comply with our requirements."
INZ said it could not say how many people were in a similar situation, or what action it might take against Watkins.
"Whether any further action would be taken in these cases would depend on the nature of the breach and how it fits with compliance activities and priorities. Our approach to compliance is tailored based on each individual circumstance to ensure the situation is addressed effectively.
"We assess the severity of the case and prioritise cases where there is higher risk of immigration harm."
