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New Business Migration Laws Spark Great Interest in New Zealand Residency17/11/09 Immigration New Zealand reports that there has been a large increase in the number of Expressions of Interest from overseas business people and investors following the introduction earlier this year of more business-friendly immigration policies. In particular, there has been considerable interest shown in the new “Entrepreneur Plus” visa category which comes into effect on 30 November, under which entrepreneurs can obtain New Zealand residency much more quickly than before, as long as their operations create at least three full-time jobs and at least $500,000 of new investment. Previously there was a two year wait before such entrepreneurs could obtain residency. Immigration New Zealand says that amongst those who had registered on their websites, most interest had come from the United States, Britain, India, the Philippines and Ireland. Property development, education, training and tourism were among the most popular areas for potential investment, with 189 applicants looking to invest NZ$1.5 million or more - a total potential investment of at least $283 million. Source: New Zealand Herald For more information on gaining FAST TRACK permanent residency, please contact one of our Client Services Agents by clicking here. New Zealand Government Announce 2008/2009 Migrant Intake 9th July, 2008 The number of places available to migrants under the New Zealand Residence Programme (NZRP) is reviewed by Cabinet each year. During the 2008/09 financial year the NZRP will be set at 45,000-50,000 places – the same level as last year. Some 60% of the places available within the NZRP will be filled by skilled and business migrants, 30% will be used to reunite families applying through family categories and 10% will be used for humanitarian purposes and international commitments. The number of places decided by the Government balances the needs of the labour market, New Zealand's ability to accept new migrants, and our international obligations. The NZRP makes an important contribution to the skills New Zealand has in its workforce, leading to the growth of the economy. The programme is set in a way that is complementary to New Zealand’s temporary immigration policies and wider training and productivity initiatives. Are you eligible to emigrate? Find out now. Click here for a FREE initial eligibility assessment provided by the Migration Bureau (officially recognised immigration and visa consultants). For information on the Migration Bureau Click here. Kiwis heading abroad for adventure, not money- study 3 April, 2009 Adventure and experience of other cultures were the main motivators for New Zealanders moving overseas, rather than earning more money, a new study has found. Massey University department of management and international business PhD student Kaye Thorn conducted the study, called Flight of the Kiwi, for her thesis. She asked 2608 highly educated emigrants, including doctors, lawyers, bankers and scientists, why they left and whether they would come back. Respondents said their key motives in where to live were, in order of priority , culture and travel opportunities, career, economics, relationships, quality of life and political environment. Ms Thorn said economics as the third priority was contrary to popular analogy that more money was drawing New Zealanders overseas. For people living in Britain, who made up half the respondents, cultural and travel opportunities was the top reason at 36.5 per cent, with career second at 22.6 per cent and economics third at 18.6 per cent. Under 35s were concerned about making enough money to pay back their student loan faster, she said. Thirty-five per cent of respondents said they planned to be back in New Zealand within five years, the main reasons being children's education, retirement or because they anticipated having sufficient financial savings by then. Ms Thorn said the economic crisis appeared to have resulted in a slowing of the movement of New Zealanders overseas, particularly to Australia. - NZPA Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz Are you eligible to emigrate? Find out now. Click here for a FREE initial eligibility assessment provided by the Migration Bureau (officially recognised immigration and visa consultants). New Zealand unemployment up to 5pc - less than feared 6 May, 2009 The unemployment rate rose to a six-year high 5 per cent in the March quarter, but that was a smaller rise than economists forecast as more people than expected dropped out of the workforce. The rate, which increased from a revised 4.7 per cent in the previous three months, has risen for five consecutive quarters from a low of 3.5 per cent in the December 2007 quarter. The latest quarter was the first time since March 2003 that the rate has reached 5 per cent. ANZ said the rise in the unemployment rate was limited by the number of workers leaving the labour force. Signs of a "discouraged worker effect" were developing, although some workers may have decided to leave the labour force altogether, along with indications many were taking the opportunity to upskill. With the economy having been in recession since the start of 2008, it was somewhat surprising that a larger rise in unemployment had not been recorded given recent overseas experience, ANZ said. A large disconnect between employment growth and gross domestic product figures suggested firms had been hoarding labour, but the unemployment rate was likely to continue rising through the year. At the same time, ANZ said it had to respect indicators pointing towards stabilisation, with so-called economic green shoots which seemed to be sprouting for now. Although it did not expect those green shoots to take hold, forecasting for now contained a heavy element of uncertainty. ASB economists Jane Turner and Nick Tuffley said clear evidence remained of under-utilisation in the labour market and they expected employment to be further scaled back during the next year. The unemployment rate may ultimately approach 8 per cent, they said. The ASB economists expected the participation rate, which had declined from a record high 69.1 per cent in the December quarter, would continue to decline as the labour market became more challenging. The loss in part-time jobs was consistent with the bulk of lost jobs coming during the past year in the younger age groups - 15 to 19-year-olds and 20 to 24-year-olds, they said. The drop-off in employment in those two age groups also may explain the drop in participation, as they were also more likely to opt for further training or tertiary education should finding a job become more difficult. - NZPA
New Zealand unemployment rate still on the rise, but still lower than many other Western Nations 21 April, 2009 That was due to the inclusion of Maori benchmarks into the updated weights, in addition to incorporating revised population estimates from 2001 onwards. For the December quarter of last year, the results of the population rebase included a revision in the unemployment rate from the five-year high of 4.6 per cent first published in early February, to 4.7 per cent. Seasonally adjusted employment for the December quarter, already at the highest level since the survey began, was revised upward by 0.9 per cent to 2.21m. The revision to the number of people unemployed lifted the total 3.2 per cent to 108,000, while the number not in the labour force was revised up 1.6 per cent to 1.03m. The labour force participation rate was revised down 0.1 percentage point from its record high to 69.2 per cent. Source: NZ Herald (www.nzherald.co.nz)
Are you eligible to emigrate? Find out now. Click here for a FREE initial eligibility assessment provided by the Migration Bureau (officially recognised immigration and visa consultants). Plan to slash permits worries migrants 20 April, 2009 Worried migrant workers, migrant advocates and union representatives will meet tomorrow night to discuss a response to the Government's plan to slash migrant work permits. "Migrant advocates have raised concerns that racist sentiments are being fostered and ask why migrant workers shouldn't have their rights protected. New Zealanders ask why they should be sacked when temporary visa holders keep their jobs," wrote orgainser Mike Treen, in an email invitation to the public meeting. "This raises questions on how unions should be approaching migrant workers when there may be conflicting claims for support from different groups of workers who are their members." Meeting organiser Dennis Maga said migrant workers on temporary permits were "worried sick" about their futures, and wanted to know if the unions would protect their rights during the recession. "The politicians are calling for migrant workers to be laid off first, and the immigration service has revoked visas from some workers who kept their jobs," said Mr Maga, who heads Migrante Aotearoa, a union for migrant workers. "This not only goes against the Employment Relations Act, but also the Human Rights Act which says there must be no racial discrimination in the workplace." Speakers at the meeting will include Laila Harre, former Alliance MP and national secretary of the National Distribution Union, John Minto from Unite Union, Mr Treen and Mr Maga. The immigration department is investigating a case of 28 workers in New Plymouth who were made redundant last October, while Filipino welders kept their jobs and had their temporary permits renewed; and Hamilton Jets, a "Government immigration websites continue to hardsell this country to skilled migrants, with no warnings of pitfalls, traps or risks of permits getting revoked," said the worker, who did not want to be named for fear that it could result in his work permit being revoked. "It is on the promise of the work-to-residence visa - that we would be getting residency if we retained our jobs - that many of us sold everything with plans to start a new life here." Immigration Minister Jonathan Coleman had said last month that he expected the Labour Department, which oversees immigration, to ensure that fewer migrants entered A record 188,000 temporary work applications were approved in 2007-2008, an increase of 13 per cent from the year before. Source: NZ Herald (Lincoln Tan), www.nzherland.co.nz. More people are choosing to migrate to New Zealand which will help boost the construction industry - evenutally 21 April, 2009 A population boost from the number of people settling in this country due to the global economic crisis is eventually expected to be good news for the hard hit construction sector. Deutsche Bank chief economist Darren Gibbs said that compared to March 2008, the net inflow of non-New Zealand citizens was little changed, but net departures by In light of the deep recession and job losses in most of this country's key trading partners, he thought it was likely net migrant inflows would continue to swing back heavily in He expected that would continue to mainly reflect the impact on flows of departing and, increasingly, arriving New Zealanders. But weak economies offshore and a low nominal exchange rate would also add to the attractiveness of this country to potential non-New ASB economist Jane Turner said the recent turnaround in net migration had come from a drop in departures, mostly to She expected that while arrivals had been relatively steady so far, they would see a small pick up, particularly from Annual migration inflows were likely to reach 10,000 to 15,000 a year, providing some support to population growth and to cyclically weak areas such as retail spending and housing construction. - NZPA Source: NZ Herald (www.nzherald.co.nz)
Are you eligible to emigrate? Find out now. Click here for a FREE initial eligibility assessment provided by the Migration Bureau (officially recognised immigration and visa consultants).
Migration Bureau & Visa Centre staff secure New Zealand IAA Licensing Visa Applicants must use an IAA Licensed Immigration Adviser from 4 May 2009. The New Zealand immigration industry has welcomed the introduction of the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007 passed by the New Zealand Government which requires anyone providing New Zealand immigration advice to be licensed by May 4, 2009. This ensures that all immigration advisors meet competency standards and adhere to a code of conduct. The new licensing system serves to protect both visa applicants and existing professional New Zealand immigration consultants from un-regulated operators. Furthermore, it establishes a strong platform for Immigration New Zealand (INZ – New Zealand Government immigration authority) to work in a clear and positive way with licensed immigration advisers. All residence visa applicants from May 4 2009 must use an IAA Immigration Adviser or New Zealand lawyer when seeking professional help with their residence visa applications. The Migration Bureau and Visa Centre are delighted to announce that staff member, Mr Anka Sahin (Licence number 200800332) has recently been granted a licence to practice by the New Zealand Immigration Advisers Authority (IAA). In addition, Anka is the first person in the immigration industry to be both an IAA Licensed Immigration Adviser (New Zealand) and also a MARA Registered Migration Agent (Australia). This means that both the Migration Bureau and Visa Centre can offer the highest level of official recognition possible to their respective clients. Following confirmation from the IAA that Anka Sahin has been granted a licence to practice, Grant King, Director of the Migration Bureau and Visa Centre said, “To our knowledge, this makes the Migration Bureau and Visa Centre the only companies in the world at this time with a team of agents who are registered with all four official immigration registration bodies: MARA (Australia), IAA (New Zealand), CSIC (Canada) and OISC (UK). This is the highest level of official recognition possible. It is a significant achievement and re-confirms the company's position as a market leader.” For more information please visit http://www.migrationbureau.com/regulatory.php. 5th March, 2009 Australia's four biggest banks - which between them control more than 90 per cent of New Zealand's banking - are among the world's 20 safest, a survey has found. National Australia Bank, owner of the BNZ, beat heavyweights such as HSBC, Wells Fargo and Deutsche Bank to reach number 11 on the US-based Global Finance magazine list. The twice-yearly assessment - which examines the 500 largest banks in the world - is based on a comparison of the long-term credit ratings from agencies Standard & Poor's, Moody's and Fitch as well as banks' total assets. NAB is followed by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia - owner of the ASB Bank - at number 12. ANZ Banking Group is ranked 15th, followed by Westpac in 16th place. The credit ratings of the New Zealand subsidiaries of the big four Australian banks are similar to those of their parents, which are largely uniform. But only the Commonwealth Bank's New Zealand subsidiary - ASB Bank - is on Global Finance's top 50 list, in 18th place. 18. The world's safest bank, says Global Finance, is Germany's KfW. The safest bank with a significant New Zealand presence is the Netherlands' Rabobank. Joseph Giarraputo said ”more than ever, customers are viewing long-term creditworthiness as the key feature of the banks with which they do business." New Zealand's banks - and their Australian owners - have been spared the worst effects of the global financial meltdown mainly because of their staid business philosophies. And they have generally been considerably more conservative in their lending than their American and European counterparts. Are you eligible to emigrate? Find out now. Click here for a FREE initial eligibility assessment provided by the Migration Bureau (officially recognised immigration and visa consultants). Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz 2008 has been a pivotal year for the NZ property market with a sustained drop in property values for the first time since 1998. Quotable Values’s (QV) December Residential Price Movement report shows property values fell by 7.4% during the year. “Property values held reasonably flat through the first three months of the year, but the decline kicked in through the autumn and winter months, during which time values dropped 6%. With the significant drops in interest rates over the past three months, there has been an increase in market activity and values appear to be flattening again” said Mark Dow of QV Valuations. “To keep 2008 in perspective it’s useful to look back at the activity of the past two decades. Property values grew by 120% between 2002 and mid 2007. By way of comparison, the last period of sustained growth occurred between late 1992 and the end of 1997 when property values increased by 54%” said Dow. “After such a period of sustained growth it’s inevitable that we will see a correction. The question remains how long this period of falling property values will continue.” “It’s also interesting to look at the types of properties selling at the different stages of the property cycle. Between 2000 and 2003 the number of house sales more than doubled, with a dramatic increase in the proportion of lower value property selling. In the years 2004 to 2007, the number of house sales remained fairly steady, as did the proportion of low, medium and high value sales. During 2008, the number of house sales fell dramatically and the proportion of lower value properties selling significantly decreased. This pattern reflects the wider drivers of the property cycle. When the economy is strong; job prospects are good and immigration is increasing, then demand for houses, particularly first homes, pushes prices up. As the economy weakens and affordability becomes a real issue, first home buyers are usually the first to suffer; sales volumes drop and activity in the market moves back to mid to higher end properties as we saw through 2008” said Dow. Our December report showed a 7.4% decline over the past year (calculated over the three months ending December 2008 in comparison to the same period last year) while the average New Zealand sale price for December increased slightly to $378,605. All the main centres showed further declines in property values. In the Auckland Area values dropped back to -8.0% from the -7.4% reported in November. Hamilton values fell to -9.3% from -8.5%, Tauranga to -9.0% from -8.4%, and the Wellington Area to -6.9% from the -6.0%. Christchurch and Dunedin followed the same trend dropping to 8.0% and -7.7% respectively. Most of the main provincial cities followed the national trend with property values easing further. Whangarei dropped 8.6%, Napier 8.1%, Nelson 7.6%, and Invercargill 9.1%. However, a number of areas bucked the trend most notably popular summer destinations like Queenstown whose property values dropped to 10.6% from the -12.5% reported in November, and Gisborne to 5.8% from 9.6% last month. Dollar dive makes Auckland far cheaper Mar 11, 2009 It may not feel like it to recession-hit residents, but Auckland is becoming a cheaper city in which to live, according to a new international survey. The Economist Magazine Worldwide Cost of Living Survey shows Auckland plummeted 29 places in the past five months, to claim 78th spot on the list of the world's most expensive cities. Wellington came in just behind at 80th-equal - down from its previous 55th spot, and tied with the Chinese city of Qingdao. The latest figures were calculated by readjusting September cost of living results using February exchange rates - the weaker a currency, the lower a city's ranking. The New Zealand dollar, which was buying US66.8c on September 10, was yesterday afternoon buying just US49.5c - translating to big falls. Across the Tasman, a weaker Australian dollar saw Sydney tumble from 17th to 35th most expensive city, while Melbourne fell from number 24 to number 39 in the rankings. The cost of living survey compares prices and products in 140 cities, with the results providing guidelines for companies calculating allowances for staff and their families moving overseas. While living costs appear to be getting cheaper across Australasia, residents in countries with comparatively strong currencies are looking at big cost increases. A resurgent greenback has seen the cost of living in American cities skyrocket, with Chicago, New York and Los Angeles all climbing from 39th to 23rd-equal on the list. The cost of living in those cities is 28 per cent higher than in Auckland, the survey shows. The list sees Tokyo and Osaka top the charts, claiming first and second place respectively. The cost of living in both cities is more than twice that of Auckland. While the normal cost of living figures were "relatively stable", the global financial crisis had created exchange rate fluctuations that had "significantly altered our assessment of the most and least expensive cities," Mr Copestake said. Are you eligible to emigrate? Find out now. Click here for a FREE initial eligibility assessment provided by the Migration Bureau (officially recognised immigration and visa consultants). Source: NZ Herald - www.nzherald.co.nz Increase in New Zealand's economic freedom - new results New Zealand's economic freedom has increased over the last year, with the country rising one place to fifth in the annual Heritage Foundation/Wall Street Journal survey. New Zealand is considered 82 percent free in the survey, compared with 80.2 percent last year. The 1.2-point gain on last year was due to improvements in four areas, including trade, investment and property rights. "(New Zealand's) globally competitive economy benefits from monetary stability, low tariff rates, and a financial system based on market principles that attracts many foreign banks," the US-based think-tank said in its report. The country's efficient legal and regulatory environment also allowed entrepreneurialism to flourish. The economic freedom index measures 10 categories of economic freedom: labour, business, trade, fiscal, monetary, investment, financial, government size, property rights and freedom from corruption. New Zealand was rated at 99.9 percent for business freedom, compared with the average of 64.3 percent. Trade freedom, monetary freedom, investment and financial freedom were all ranked 80 percent or higher, and property rights were well protected. Tax rates higher than many other countries meant fiscal freedom scored 62.5 percent, compared with the average 74.9 percent. Freedom from corruption declined but remained high at 94 percent, and labour freedom fell but was also high at 89.65 percent. Ten points were deducted from the trade freedom score to account for non-tariff barriers. Government spending and influence was high, inflation was low, and foreign investment was encouraged in most sectors. The country's flexible labour laws enhanced employment and productivity growth, the non-salary cost of employing a worker was low, and dismissing a redundant employee was costless, the survey authors concluded. NZ ranked fifth in world for gender equality Nov 14, 2008 New Zealand is ranked fifth out of 130 countries for gender equality, a report produced by the World Economic Forum has found. The annual Global Gender Index report measures the gap between men and women in economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, political empowerment and health and survival. This year, Norway was ranked first, followed by Finland, Sweden and Iceland. Australia ranked 21, falling four places from last year's ranking of 17. Britain was ranked 13, falling two places from last year, and the United States improved by four to 27. Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner Judy McGregor said it was "remarkable" that New Zealand ranked so highly. But she said ,"we must ensure that women are not disproportionately affected by job loss and redundancies in the economic downturn". The report found that New Zealand closed 78.59 per cent of equality gaps between men and women, while the Nordic countries closed more than 80 per cent. The lowest ranking country, Yemen, closed a little over 45 per cent of its gender gap in 2008. Dr McGregor said New Zealand had closed the entire gap in educational attainment, which measured the literacy rate and enrolment of males and females in primary, secondary and tertiary education. It had closed over 97 per cent of the gap in health and survival measured by sex ratio at birth and healthy life expectancy. New Zealand had closed more than 77 per cent of the gender gap in economic participation and opportunity, which is measured by labour force participation; wage equality for similar work; income levels and numbers of managers, professional and technical workers and law and policy makers. Dr McGregor said New Zealand had also improved from closing around 16 per cent of the gap between men and women in political empowerment to closing over 39 per cent. With increased numbers of women in Parliament and ministerial positions and having a female head of state - however the report was compiled before the election. Dr McGregor said the report was important because it could track progress over time. New Zealand was seventh in the first report and had made significant progress up the ladder in the past three years, she said. Are you eligible to emigrate? Find out now. Click here for a FREE initial eligibility assessment provided by the Migration Bureau (officially recognised immigration and visa consultants). For information on the Migration Bureau Click here. Source: NZ Herald - www.nzherald.co.nz Residency Applications: High Failure Rate reported. Up to 50% FAIL..... Asia-Pacific gloom not pervasive in NZ 15th October 2008 New Zealand investors have fared well in comparision to their counterparts in other Asia-Pacific nations in a survey about confidence in the economy. ING, the global financial services group, today released data from its Investor Dashboard Sentiment Index showing that confidence has taken a 39 per cent plunge across Asia Pacific in the last year. The survey represents a snapshot of investor sentiment conducted across 13 markets in Asia Pacific. Are you eligible to emigrate? Find out now. Click here for a FREE initial eligibility assessment provided by the Migration Bureau (officially recognised immigration and visa consultants). For information on the Migration Bureau Click here. More Migrants now Using Agents The Destination New Zealand reader survey looked at various issues of the immigration process including demographics, family factors, motivations and the immigration process. Other significant trends for New Zealand include longer decision time for deciding what city to live in and employment being high motivation for regional choice in addition to being the greatest emigration fear. Most respondents indicated that the WAITING was the most difficult part of the process. Therefore, there is a strong case for using an immigration consultant, who can help the applicant AVOID DELAYS and assist with QUICKER PROCESSING by presenting a 100% correct and complete application. Secondly, the application process and preparing paperwork was also perceived to be a difficult part of the process. Again, there is a strong case for IMMIGRATION CONSULTANTS who can make the application process smoother and clearer and provide personalised assistance and representation in this bureaucratic process. Are you eligible to emigrate? Find out now. Click here for a FREE initial eligibility assessment provided by the Migration Bureau (officially recognised immigration and visa consultants). For information on the Migration Bureau Click here. Source: Destination New Zealand January 07, Outbound Publishing Migration Bureau attends functions at New Zealand Embassy The Director of the Migration Bureau, Grant King, has had a busy year attending numerous events at New Zealand Embassies and High Commissions around the world. For more information visit www.migrationbureau.com
Applying under the Skilled Migrant has always been the most popular visa class for permanent residency in New Zealand. For you to migrate under the Skilled Migrant Category you will have to meet certain conditions and meet the points threshold. If you would like to find out the current threshold and more about points information please click here. If you would like to know if you meet these pass marks, we will work it out for you for FREE. Click here to complete a free initial eligibility assessment provided by the Migration Bureau (officially recognised immigration and visa consultants). Which Occupations are in Demand? Applying under skill categories has always been the most popular visa class for permanent residency in New Zealand. Points are awarded for an offer of employment in New Zealand, work experience, qualifications and age. Bonus points are available for employment in areas of identified future growth, cluster or absolute skill shortages. Bonus points are also available for employment outside Auckland and for New Zealand qualifications. The key to success under this class is meeting the prerequisites as outlined above AND arranging a relevant, valid skilled job offer in New Zealand. If you are interested in migrating as a skilled migrant and you would like to find out if your occupation is listed on the New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations list (NZSCO) as a skilled occupation please click here. Are you eligible to emigrate? Find out now. Click here for a FREE initial eligibility assessment provided by the Migration Bureau (officially recognised immigration and visa consultants). For information on the Migration Bureau Click here.  |
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