Advisably successfully managed the visa applications of critical workers required for the Auckland City Rail Link project
Managing the complex process of obtaining work visas for critical workers needed for major projects including the construction of the Auckland City Rail Link project (CRL) required the expertise and experience of an immigration adviser very familiar with the skills requirements of major infrastructure projects and of New Zealand immigration requirements.
For Soletanche Bachy International NZ, a key contractor for the CRL, Sebastien Pham at Advisably proved the perfect fit for the job.
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“Sébastien Pham’s engineering background meant that he fully understood why we required very specific types of people for our projects,” says Wissam Karaki, Soletanche Bachy International NZ’s Finance & Administrative Manager (Wissam’s own work visa was arranged by Sébastien).
“He expertly assisted us through the process of obtaining work visas to bring into New Zealand from Asia and Europe critical workers such as engineers and specialised operators capable of running specific equipment and machines in the CRL project. We would have struggled to do this without his clear guidance and support, particularly in a pandemic environment of border restrictions. He has streamlined the processes for us and helped to make our work possible. His service is of a very high level” says Wissam.
“There’s a big difference between using a legal advisor who has little knowledge about the essential skills required on major infrastructure projects and someone who has direct personal experience in this area. This is the huge advantage in using Advisably. Sébastien’s background is more useful to us than that of an immigration lawyer who may understand immigration but not construction”.
“Sebastien was able to answer any questions raised by Immigration New Zealand and by our candidates because of this in-depth understanding of the infrastructure projects sector. When critical workers were required at short notice the team at Advisably made themselves fully available to us to accommodate the different time zones of applicants who needed the right answers quickly in order to complete their visa application requirements on time. This helped to streamline their entry into New Zealand to comply with the start dates of their work on a huge local project”.
“I strongly recommend Advisably and Sebastien Pham to any other organisations needing to negotiate the work visa application processes for importing essential skilled workers on major infrastructure projects.”
Soletanche Bachy is the world leader in foundations and soil technologies. The company provides an extensive range of geotechnical solutions on the global market. These range from deep foundations, reinforcing, waterproof cut-off walls and ground treatment, to retaining structures, civil engineering, ground improvement and tunnels.
Advisably’s ability to think outside the box proved invaluable for successfully importing essential workers for the Auckland CRL project
VINCI Construction Grands Projets is the lead construction company in the Link Alliance, a consortium of seven companies responsible for the delivery of the City Rail Link (CRL) project in Auckland. VINCI Construction Grands Projets has been working closely with Advisably’s immigration advisers since 2018 to obtain work visas for essential skilled workers.
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The CRL represents one of the largest design-build transport infrastructure projects ever attempted in New Zealand: a 3.45km twin-tunnel underground rail link up to 42 metres below the Auckland city centre. The project has required the importation of highly skilled workers into New Zealand from all over the world. Enlisting the assistance of an immigration adviser with a civil engineering background who specialises in major infrastructure projects proved invaluable to successfully navigating the work visa application processes.
Sebastien Pham and his team at Advisably began working with VINCI Construction in 2018 to manage the process of obtaining work visas for around 100 essential technical workers for the CRL project. This included engineers, supervisors, tunnel-boring machine pilots, and various other specialised machinery operators and technical people. HR, administration and safety people who understood the requirements of large infrastructure projects were also required. The process of managing the work visa applications took place over a two-year period that evolved into a complex pandemic environment of border restrictions. Advisably assisted with obtaining temporary work visas for skilled workers sourced from Australia, Hong Kong, Qatar, UAE and France to oversee the large earth-moving machines. This included personnel from the German tunnel-boring machine manufacturer.
“Sebastien helped us with work visa solutions from start to finish. He’s a great colleague and service provider and he has also become a good friend,” says Sue Yong, HR & Admin Manager, VINCI Construction Grands Projets.
“Dealing with people in different time zones means we have to operate on a 24/7 clock. I know I can always rely on the team at Advisably to be there for us. An important aspect of Sebastien’s role is writing supporting letters to accompany the work visa applications to explain why the individual specialist skills of our people are so critical to the CRL project. Once skilled workers have been selected by the Link Alliance and their job offers accepted, I then pass their CVs to Sebastien. I put our visa applicants in contact with him and he then gets the ball rolling. He takes the initiative to call our visa applicants – another plus for me. He works closely with our people, answering their queries, explaining the NZ immigration requirements and helping with the completion of their work visa application forms. The team at Advisably are always very courteous, tactful and patient with our visa applicants. Nothing is ever too much trouble for them.”
“I totally recommend Sebastien Pham and his team at Advisably for managing the process of obtaining work visas for critical workers for major infrastructure projects. He can think laterally and solve problems. He is always looking for alternative ways to get our people into New Zealand. He makes it possible. I enjoy working with him and his team,” says Sue Yong.
VINCI Construction designs, finances, builds and operates major infrastructure and facilities, employing around 222,000 people in 100 countries.
