Christchurch MPs call for cut in visa red tape for rebuilders

British migrants who travelled to Christchurch to assist in the earthquake rebuild have run into problems with their visa applications. One applicant, Aaron Varley, a structural engineer, was told that he would obtain his visa easily due to his qualifications and work experience, but was informed by New Zealand immigration officials that he did not meet requirements. As a result, MPs in Christchurch are calling for the city to be exempted from typical visa requirements in order to get the required skills routed to where they are needed in order to aid the city’s recovery.