August 2010

Again some very interesting highlights taken out of the local news papers, in snapshot only;

• 34 INZ staff under investigation
• Skill shortage in NZ continues to increase, with a noticeable shortage in medical specialists
• Fingerprint scheme starts
• Immigration and religion
• Unemployment jumps to 6.8%
• Public servants told to cut spending
• WPeters back with support of nurses
• Regional Pacific asylum centre discussions continue
• Restructure of NZ education system discussions
• Swine flu on the increase
• Shortage in state housing and house prices continue to slide
• Job ads increasing
• Compulsory retirement scheme
• Malicious computer widget sent out via internet
• Export leading NZ's economic recovery
• Holiday trade-in bill
• Discrimination in NZ
• The fairness of community service versus two and a half years in prison
• Its now SIR Peter Leitch, the mad butcher

That's it again, c u next month …..

July 2010

The review of the month as reported in the local news papers, in snapshot only;

• Work permits for foreigners
• Immigration complaints back up as Tribunal sits idle
• Refugee and asylum seekers in discussions
• Some interesting High Court cases relating to INZ
• The NZ workforce will be 15% Asian by 2026
• Net migration continues to decline and this shortfall in immigrants costs NZ dearly
• Immigration relaxes rules for child students
• The owner Kingsland Institute charged with immigration offences resulting in a review of student visas
• More Kiwis heading for Oz
• Annual visitors top 2.5m
• Pacific and Samoa ballots to be drawn
• ETS kicks in and a variety of articles about ETS
• A shortage in houses while house prices continue to fall
• The house insulation scheme
• The return of the All Whites
• Over 60 police officers face criminal charges
• A free trade agreement with Korea
• National Standards are in a mess
• NZ economy is stalling with Inflation now at 1.8% and interest rates likely to rise again
• NZ anti whaling activist sentenced in Japan
• The WC soccer final between Spain v Holland, Spain deserved winners WC, Holland misses out for the third time
• Foreign investment in New Zealand increasing
• Call to drop GST on health food
• Job advertising up, pay rates down;
• Sweeping labour law changes with 90-day work trial extended and the "sickie" rule to change
• The AB beat the Boks

See you all next month again….

June 2010

May 2010

This month two important issues, the new IALAct and Budget 2010. See below the highlights of this month;

• Again some interesting decisions from the RRB, RRA decisions
• The IALACT becomes effective worldwide as from 4 May 2010
• The Whanau Ora to get $134.3m (nice for starters)
• Huge drop in unemployment to 6%
• Possible increase in interest rates
• NZ company tax rate compared to Australia
• Huge protest against the mining plans from the government
• PM under fire for returning to NZ for the funeral of three airman
• The budget and the possible implications, what it means and various opinions
• The Silver Fern success (is it with only 300 places??)
• The continuing saga of Telecom
• Smoke free and tobacco free marae's
• iPads available in July
• A new PM in the UK
• Coalition issues between the Maori and National Party
• OECD states average NZ tax burden low
• The sentencing from the failed blue chip investor company
• Chinese money laundered in NZ
• PAYE scam immigrants
• ETS issues
• The Three strikes bill passed
• Increases in energy expected as a result of the ETS
• Kiwi bank issues
• Whitcouls launches e-book platform
• First trading surpluses in years
• Anti whaler court case
• PM's conflict of interest

Interesting month, especially on financial issues and immigration related. Read more in our news section. See you next month....

April 2010

April, again a busy month with quite a few things happening at all fronts;

• A number of decisions from the RRA and RRB with the majority disallowed due to not meeting exceptional circumstances
• Criticism on the new INZ policy
• ANZAC commemorations overshadowed by helicopter crash prompting the PM to come home earlier
• One in five people in the insurance industry is leaving the profession due to regulation (does that sound similar?)
• Fags and booze, i.e. the liquor report and the possible outfall and increases in tobacco prices
• Possible new rules around student and work permits
• Student loans
• More trouble for Telecom
• Volcanic ashes stopping air travel costing well over 200Milion per day and resulting in delayed deliveries of exports
• UN declaration for indigenous people signed by NZ
• John Key visiting the USA for talks on trade and nukes with many reactions from the opposition
• Recognition of migrant workers
• The Whanau Ora seen to attack social inequalities under Maori
• NZ's apple victory over Australia
• Visitor numbers to NZ are up
• Liverpool (and Arsenal) soccerclubs up for sale
• Strong views on privately run prisons
• Discussions that the economy still in the dolldrums
• Ex-ministers facing charges
• Increase in the driving age
• Seabed and foreshore issue raising its head again
• Former immigration boss sentenced
• Start of the tablet computer wars
• Licencing of the financial industry (hope they have less issues with their controlling authority)
• Increase in violent crimes

Wishing you all a blessed Easter with some time to reflect on what Easter all means for you and your loved ones. See you again next month.

March 2010

February 2010

February has been an excellent month for our company with many new contracts and positive decisions received. Other highlights this month are;

• A study has found that Kiwis want cigarettes to be banned by 2020. (NZ Herald)
• Telecom appears to have a battle on their hands. XT outages and mall treatment of clients have given a competitive advantage to their main rivals who are using this as a tool to try to obtain a larger slice of the market.
• New car registrations are well up on last year. Are we in an economic crisis?
• John Key advises that GST may increase to 15% and that benificiaries are facing tough new measures.
• MP Jeanette Fitzsimmons (The Greens) is leaving parliament. She joined parliament in 1996 and has been repected as a hardworking, honest PM with intregrity.
• Government is saying that a leap in population is behind the unemployment levels reaching their highest levels since 1999. See our news item. To blame a leap in population (i.e. immigration) is in my view an incorrect assessment. Perhaps I have not all the information at hand, but the majority of new comers to NZ are only granted residence when hey have provided evidence of a job or are starting a company. Therefore, the unemployment rise is in my view a pure result of companies and or organisations closing its doors for business.

January 2010

Happy New Year to you all !!!

While you all have been celebrating the new year, the world continues to revolve. This month highlights are;

• Two thirds of businesses are optimistic about thier outlook for 2010 according to a global survey. This is in marked contrast and much more positive that what the IMF forecasters were advising earlier on.
• Australia is making it easier for NZ doctors to work where-ever they like in Australia. Next to rugby and cricket, is there another Trans-Tasman war erupting??
• The Pacific Community is targetted with various immigration visa scams. They are advised to use a licenced immigration adviser, by INZ and by their leaders. Well done!! Please refer our news article.
• Strong criticism is aired on the curent tax regime even requesting a total overhaul of the system. GST (from 12.5% to 15%?) personal tax rates and company tax rates are all under review.
• Investment funds in the Tourism industry is targetted to get more Aussies over the ditch to New Zealand.
• Avatar is beating all box office results, is linked to the Maori language and adds a cool $30m to NZ's economy. Keep this going, guys, well done.
• Frivolous issuing of work to residence visas is questionned, and yes, why is INZ not held responsible for what they are doing? See our news article.

Happy reading, see you next month ...

December 2009

Herewith I would like to thank you all for your support and trust given to me in the last year. I really enjoyed working with you and hope to catch up with you in the next year.

I may have lost contact with some of you, however when you believe that you and your loved ones have settled in New Zealand succesfuly, please let me hear about it, share your success story.

Wishing you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas and a healthy, prosperous and safe New Year

Please note that we will be closed from 18 December 2009 onwards and  re-open on 18 January 2010. I am going to spend some time with my mother, brother and sisters in Holland and I am really looking forward to that.

See you next year ...

November 2009

Another interesting month is bringing us closer to Christmas and the New Year. Highlights this month are the following;

• Research recognises immigration's contribution to New Zealand. This is probably nothing new for those working in the industry however it is good that the government acknowledges this.
• Tourism is to receive a boost. This also means that a promise made by John Key, the PM and Minister of Tourism, has been delivered. It is envisaged that this will drive New Zealand's economic recovery.
• The Vatican is to accept married Anglican priest on a case by case basis. May be it is time that marriage of a priest in the catholic church is being accepted and therewith allowing more people in the priesthood.
• New Immigration policy is announecd, the Entrepreneur PLUS.
• The New Zealand Association for Migration & Investment, aka as the NZAMI, celebrated its 20th anniversary. The celebration was attended by many members and the Associate Minister of Immigration, the Hon Kate Wilkinson, who delivered a great speech advising that the Government wishes to work closely with the NZAMI.
• The first of many CPD workshops from the IAA were conducted. Very good content and enjoyable day. One of the presentation slides covered the "Image of the professions - survey" based on a 2007 Morgan telephone poll in which diffrerent professional groups were rated as having "high" or "very high" standards of ethics and honesty. The result was astonishing and alarming, especially for those groups in bold;
• Nurses, pharmacist, doctors, school teachers and engineers, these groups scored between 91% and 71%.
• Dentists, judges, police, ministers of religion and accountants, these scored between 69% to 48%.
• Lawyers, bank managers and public servants scored between 36% and 30%.
• Talkback radio hosts, business executives, MP's, journalists, advertising people, estate agents and car sales people scored not higher than 20%.
• That's it for now, see you next month ....