August 2011

A quite interesting article that I would like to share with you as I found it alarming!

Did you know that 33% of world experiences increased restrictions on religion?

Restrictions on religion are on the rise according to the new Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life study?

Increased restraints on religious activity were now more noticeable in 23 countries, however restrictions were released in another 12 countries, the study showed.

The study also shows

• intolerant countries growing more hostile to religious freedom, and tolerant ones growing more accommodating

• more adverse government policies in countries such as France, Egypt, Algeria, Uganda

• social hostility grew, in places like China, Nigeria, and Russia

• among those nations where government restrictions declined, were: Greece, Togo, Nicaragua, Republic of Macedonia and Guinea-Bissau

• it is scarcest in the Middle East and North Africa

• Europe, however, has the largest proportion of countries where social hostilities related to religion rose

• more than other groups, Muslims and Christians suffered harassment based on their religion

• smaller religious groups that suffered disproportionately, the study found, included Jews

• representing less than one percent of the world’s people, Jews were harassed in 75 countries

• North Korea, one of the most repressive regimes, could not be included for lack of reliable data

• overall, about 70 percent of the world lives in nations with significant religious repression.

“There seems to be somewhat of a polarization,” particularly in countries with constitutional prohibitions against blasphemy, said Brian Grim, the primary researcher of the report. “When you have one set of restrictions in place then it’s easier to add on.”

The report, took data from 198 countries and territories from 2006 through 2009. About 2.2 billion people live in nations where restrictions on religion have substantially increased the report showed.

(Sources, The Christian Century, Huffington Post, Pew Forum)

July 2011

June 2011

May 2011

This month something different; a short economic review as publicised on the NZ Government website;

New Zealand’s unemployment rate fell 0.1 percentage point to 6.6 percent in the March 2011 quarter.

There were 155,000 people unemployed in seasonally adjusted terms.

Employment expanded by 1.4 percent over the quarter, driven by a four percent increase in part-time employment. Of some concern, total actual hours worked fell by 0.9 percent.

Business confidence recovered much of the confidence lost last month, following the February earthquake.

There were strong improvements in indicators around own activity outlook, residential building construction, employment and profitability.

Petrol prices remain high, although recent downward movements in international oil prices, may result in lower prices.

Households have increased their expenditure on fuel in each of the last eight months, according to Statistics New Zealand’s electronic card transactions survey, with expenditure rising by an additional 2.1 percent during March. The overall value of electronic card transactions during the month rose by 0.5 percent.

Food prices rose by 5.5 percent in the March 2011 year, with the 1 October rise in rate of GST being a major contributor.

The tourism industry is under pressure (especially in the South Island) with international visitor numbers falling consistently on a trend basis since September last year.

The earthquake and associated Tsunami in Japan, along with the flooding in Australia (two major sources of international visitors to New Zealand) has not helped, neither has the impact of the global financial crisis on the economies of Ireland and the United Kingdom.

April 2011

April again was a month full of interesting articles in the various news papers, from an economical, political and climate view point.

The most interesting article was however about the immigrant who was booted out of New Zealand. For further details, follow this link for further information.

Its a very good example confirming that the various immigration instructions for permanent and temporary visas do not link with each other correctly.

According to immigration instructions, an applicant for a temporary visa requires to have a clean bill of health, the applicant needs to meet ASH (an acceptable standard of health). This was also the case with this person as he was in NZ on an approved business visa, meaning that his medicals confirmed an acceptable standard of health at that time.

When an LTBV is approved and issued, it is expected that you would lodge a residence application after having operated your business for two years and thus obtain residency. An LTBV is a much travelled pathway to residency for business people.

Medicals for residency and temporary visas have however different requirements, i.e. the medical requirements for residency have a higher threshold.

So why approve somebody for a temporary application when a logical and subsequent residence application may be declined on health grounds?  That in my view is incorrect and needs to be rectified by INZ as soon as possible. It hurts the industry, moreover, the good image and name of New Zealand as a destination.

March 2011

And what a month it has been!

While New Zealand was, and still is recovering from the Christchurch earthquake from 22 February 2011, Japan was hit on 11 March 2011 with a 8.9 magnitude shock said to be the biggest to have hit Japan in 140 years, rocking buildings 235 miles (380km) away in Tokyo and sparking fires.

The quake hit at 2.46pm (5.45am GMT), about 6 miles below sea level and 78 miles off the east coast. It was swiftly followed by five powerful aftershocks of up to 7.1 magnitude. The shock was so powerful it was felt as far away as Beijing.

Television footage showed a 4-metre tsunami sweeping over embankments in Sendai city, bearing cars and houses – some on fire – across farmland, before reversing course and carrying them out to sea. Japan's Public broadcaster NHK showed images of a large ship ramming into a breakwater in Kennuma city, Miyagi prefecture.

The Pacific tsunami warning centre in Hawaii said a warning was in effect for Japan, Russia, Marcus Island and the Northern Marianas. Tsunami watches have been issued for Guam, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Hawaii and the entire western coast of the US and Canada, from the Mexican border to Chignik Bay in Alaska.

Water levels rose quickly in the coastal town of Miyako in Iwate prefecture, while vehicles, houses and buildings were swept away by the tsunami in Onahama city, Fukushima prefecture.

The quake is one of several to have struck north-east Japan this week, including one of magnitude 7.3 on Wednesday.

In 1933, a magnitude 8.1 quake in the area killed more than 3,000 people. Last year fishing facilities were damaged by a tsunami caused by a strong quake in Chile.

Japan is one of the most seismically active countries in the world, accounting for about 20% of the world's earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater.

February 2011

This month's review is not a review. How can you review a month in which a huge earthquake hit Christchurch on 22 February 2011 devastating a city and claiming many lives while not even counting the economic loss to families and country.

This is more a personal observation.

Support for those who are suffering is more important than everything else. That's where New Zealand shows it real character as the support from all Kiwi's, in the stricken city itself or outside or even internationally, has been just fantastic!

It makes you realise that you live in an awesome country!

January 2011

Wishing you all a happy, healthy, prosperous and safe New Year!

This month  quite a bag full of interesting things such as;

• Quakes in Christchurch, Hawkes Bay, Taupo, Rotorua and Pakistan.
• The floods in Australia where rivers bursted through their banks.
  • What's wrong guys? Is the above a result of humanity not being careful enough resulting in climate changes, or this is normal?
• A German overstayer in New Zealand has been able to evade the NZ authorities for some twenty years.
  • So systems do work, may be it takes a bit longer ...... ?
• A new poll has found more than half of the 750 voters questioned, support retaining the current MMP electoral system. A referendum is to be held at this year's general election.
• Business immigration attracts $400m potential investment.
  • That's why it is called Business Migration I reckon!
• Christchurch centre stage for the IPC Athletics World Champs
• Last but not least, state asset sales of SOE's is back on the agenda
  • Truly a hot topic that clearly mark the right and left wing ideologies of NZ's political parties.

Enjoy our news page where the articles as described above are published in more details, c u next month ...

December 2010

December, already the last month of the year!! Yep, it has gone quickly and a lot happened in the Immigration industry in this event full year (click here).

Herewith I thank you all for support and trust in me to assist you in your immigration matters. A BIG "Thank You."

Below the highlights for the December month with some links to the related news articles;

• The new Immigration Act 2009 now in force (29/11/2010). Click here for the full Act.
• Immigration Act, employers and immigration status
• Ethnic hubs breeding ground for entrepreneurs
• Leniency towards Pacific Island overstayers ( who will be next in line ...... )
• Christmas Island tragedy
• NZ apples in Oz
• PField loses appeal
• China's economic bubble threat to NZ economy
• Government deficit and economy crawling to a recovery?
• Air Asia's cheap tickets
• Wiki leaks
• Pike River Mine remembrance service
• More earth quakes, even undersea
• Teachers reach agreement
• Ireland bailed out by EU
• World Cup bid winners and losers
• Constitutional review (is that a good thing when a Governments is not performing?)
• Retirement age change? (can we learn from Europe where it went down, now it is up again)
• New car registrations up
• Property values stabilising
• Oil prices up resulting in well over $2 per liter petrol prices (happy motoring, happy holidays...)
• Pansy Wong resigns while Goff's housing perks are made public

Happy reading ... and hopefully see you in the next year! Have a safe and healthy one ...

November 2010

Next to the earthquakes, the South Island had to endure another tragedy; the Pike River Mine disaster. This event dominated the newspapers for this month while other highlights were;

• Change in INZ fees
• Employer responsibilities under the new Immigration Act
• GST court ruling may have far reaching consequences
• 10% loss of population to Australia
• Hospital mistakes costing 127 lives
• MP Travel perks debate followed by many PWong articles
• US-NZ relationships
• National Standards discussions
• Decrease in unemployment to now 6
• TradeMe pushes aside Seek in jobs
• The UK departure tax and tourism
• Budget shortfall
• Mining on Maori land
• House market continue to drop
• Credit card spending up
• Aftershocks hit Christchurch
• Business confidence up
• Do more online
• Kiwi fruit disease and PSA financial support
• Various articles about the Russian free trade agreement
• Prince William to marry
• The Beatles on iTunes
• Labour's new economic direction
• North v South Korea, does this mean a possible war in the new year?
• 90 Day Employment bill passed

Again an event full month. C U next month ….