Canadian Jon Reid (25) is halfway through a two-year working holiday visa, and had been finding it difficult to get work until he moved to Queenstown.
His Kiwi girlfriend, Bailey Broughton (23), explained how they had moved from Blenheim this week because employers had been reluctant to take on somebody on a temporary visa.
"We struggled finding him jobs, but they were more likely to offer me jobs and during Covid-19 we worked on vineyard, because there was really no other jobs we could get."
Mr Reid (25) had landed a retail job in the resort within two days of arriving.
The couple were yesterday seeking advice about what visa options there were to remain together in New Zealand.
One woman, who did want to be named for fear of upsetting her employer, said her family had advised her not to return to her home country because of lockdowns.
She held a seasonal work visa, which limited her opportunity for income, and she relied on support from Red Cross.
Queues formed throughout the 10am to 3pm immigration and visa advice event, and some attendees were noticeably frustrated by the answers they received.
Clutha Mayor Bryan Cadogan was at the event, which he said was about supporting those who had previously answered New Zealand’s call for workers.
"A year ago we were screaming out and wanting these people — they are in a predicament through no fault of their own."
He said anybody who suggested out-of-work or struggling migrants should just go home "needed to have a look at themselves".
Mr Cadogan said an estimated 9000 people from the Queenstown area were in need of work, and the free Jobbortunies event to be held at the centre today would match some of those people with about 8000 vacancies in Otago, as well as tertiary education options.
The aim was not to rob workers from Queenstown but to provide people with an income while the resort recovered.
Both events were organised as part of the Mayors Taskforce For Jobs.
