Mohammad Amir had served three months in jail for his role in the 2010 spot-fixing case © AFP
Fast bowler Mohammad Amir has been granted a visa by Immigration New Zealand (INZ) on Thursday and will travel with the Pakistan side for the limited-overs tour of New Zealand, which starts from January 15.
The PCB had earlier sought legal advice on whether Amir could get a visa as the bowler had served three months in jail for his role in the 2010 spot-fixing case and New Zealand has rules against granting visas to individuals with criminal convictions. Amir, who has been picked in the ODI and T20 squads for the tour, and will travel to New Zealand with the team on January 9.
“Immigration New Zealand can confirm that a visitor visa has been approved for Mohammad Amir to travel as part of the Pakistan Cricket Team set to tour New Zealand this month,” Michael Carley, INZ area manager, told stuff.co.nz. “In making this decision, INZ considered factors including the support of the New Zealand and Pakistan Cricket Board and that Mr Amir had served his sentence for his previous actions.”
New Zealand’s immigration authority, on its website, states that, “People with criminal convictions or who have provided false or misleading information will not be granted a visa unless a character waiver is granted.” It further specifies that, “In the case of character waivers, each application is considered on its individual merits and taking into account, for example, the seriousness of an offence, number of offences and how long ago the event/s occurred.”
Carley said Amir’s visa had been approved after taking into account the purpose of his visit to the country. “Taking into account all the circumstances and with full understanding of the purpose of his visit, a visa has been approved for Mr Amir,” he said.
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo