Just following the rules - that is Immigration's explanation for denying visas to some of the crew onboard a superyacht that was headed to New Zealand for a mega refit, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The 85-metre long pleasure craft, Bold, is anchored at Fiji. The yacht has approval to enter NZ waters, but Immigration's only granted 16 of the 23 crew visas saying the other seven are not essential.
Bold is considering heading to Australia instead, taking its business with it.
Immigration NZ's national border manager Peter Elms explains.
