AUCKLAND (NNA) – Meeting the requirements of Immigration New Zealand has often been a challenge to potential Waldorf teachers and others working out of anthroposophy that come from around the world to live and work in New Zealand. Andrea Tomanek is one such person, whose application for permanent residency under the recently introduced religious worker category has been declined.

It seems Immigration New Zealand does not consider her work as a full-time priest’s assistant with the Christian Community Church in Auckland sufficient to qualify as a religious worker.

Andrea is an active member of the church community and a regular teacher at one of the city’s Waldorf schools. Her work in the church consists of religious education, regular talks, instruction for the youth group and children’s group at the church. She also takes confirmation classes, and leads school holiday programmes as well as teaching religious studies three days a week to children in classes 1 to 6 at Michael Park School. Andrea also teaches religious education on Saturdays to pupils of the second Waldorf school in Auckland, Titirangi Rudolf Steiner School.

Hartmut Borries, the Auckland-based priest for the Christian Community in New Zealand, sees Andrea Tomanek as an integral part of church life in Auckland and says that there was no one available who could carry out her role if she had to leave. “Andrea has been responsible for all the church’s education programme in Auckland, covering not only children and youth but also adult religious education.” He went on to say that the more than 180 students at the two Rudolf Steiner schools here “will be without a religious education teacher and our church will be without a very able leader.”

Andrea has completed the priest training at the Stuttgart Seminary of The Christian Community in Germany and has also qualified as a Waldorf teacher in Europe. However, Andrea does not meet teacher registration requirements in New Zealand which means she can only teach on a limited basis in schools.

Andrea, herself, expresses concern that Hartmut Borries “could not do all this work on his own”. But Immigration New Zealand is not satisfied that Andrea’s primary or fulltime role at the church is that of teaching or guidance in religious scripture or philosophy. Neither does it consider that her work as a religious education instructor and leader of church programmes is enough to make her a religious worker.

Immigration spokeswoman Rachel Purdom said Ms Tomanek’s position as a minister’s assistant meant a large part of what she did involved secondary or supporting duties. Visas for religious workers were introduced in November 2011 but religious work must substantially be a primary role for the applicant.

Immigration New Zealand feels that Andrea’s position cannot be considered as a religious instruction teacher as the information provided does not indicate that this is her primary role.

Andrea Tomanek has appealed the decision with the support of 80 letters from the community but it could be up to a year before a ruling is made. In the meantime, it is unclear what the future holds for Andrea and her son, but if the decision is upheld then they will both be forced to return to Europe.

END/nna/vn

Item: 130614-01EN Date: 14 June 2013

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