When confronted, Onovo admitted his deception. Yesterday, he was sentenced in the Christchurch District Court to 16 months in jail on three immigration fraud charges.
Defence lawyer Errol Parsons had asked that Onovo be fined, saying his client wanted to leave New Zealand as soon as possible "for family reasons".
But Judge Gary McAskill said Onovo's crime challenged the integrity of the immigration system and required a sentence that would deter others from trying to dupe authorities.
