A South Korean overstayer will be sent home after using a forged visa to try to get a job at a Dunedin restaurant.
Changsu Park (36) was living with the family of his employer in Auckland in early 2018.
Some time during his stay, he repaid their hospitality by acquiring his boss's son's passport.
Park, whose visa has expired, came to Dunedin and last month tried to get a job at one of the city's Korean restaurants.
But his potential employer noticed something unusual about the defendant's documentation.
"She became suspicious because it looked like it had been altered,'' a police summary said.
"Immigration confirmed the document to be falsified.''
The woman provided police with a photocopy of the forged resident visa and officers found him staying at a CBD backpackers.
While in custody, the passport belonging to the Auckland man was found, along with two driver's licences belonging to other people.
Because Park's visa had expired, defence counsel Jim Takas told the Dunedin District Court yesterday, he would liable for deportation as soon as any sentence was complete.
He suggested Judge Emma Smith convict and discharge the defendant, which would mean he would be immediately rearrested.
Park would spend last night in custody and would likely be on a plane to South Korea today.
Judge Smith convicted him of receiving and using a document for a pecuniary advantage and said the charge involving the passport was particularly serious.
Despite having the "stain'' of dishonesty convictions on his criminal record, Mr Takas said it would not tarnish his client's experience.
"He has enjoyed his time in New Zealand very very much and hopes to come back,'' he said.
Park was ordered to pay court costs of $130.
