31/01/19 - Almost 2000 parent visa expressions of interest lodged since 2016 despite Immigration NZ's warnings

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Iain Lees-Galloway says the Government will make a decision on reopening the parent visa category in the first half of this year.

Almost 2000 people looking to gain residency in New Zealand have paid close to $1 million in fees despite Immigration NZ warning them not to apply.

In late 2016, the then-National Government temporarily closed the parent visa category, which enabled parents to join their adult children in New Zealand if they were a resident or citizen, to clear a backlog of applicants.

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) had been clear it would not assess new expressions of interest (EOI) in the visa category; a large orange banner on its website says: "No expressions of interest will be selected from the pool until further notice".

Despite this, INZ manager Michael Carley told the Herald there had been 1730 EOI applications since the visa category was closed down.

An EOI costs $490 so those applicants have collectively paid $830,000 to INZ.

"While the parent category is closed to new applications, INZ is legally obligated to still receive EOIs from individuals," Carley said.

"Those who have chosen to do so are aware that INZ cannot select any expressions of interest and invite people to apply for residence until the

Government has made a decision on the parent category."

Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway said the Government would make a decision on reopening the parent visa category in the first half of this year.

He would not comment on the issue before it had come before Cabinet.

An INZ spokeswoman said: "Immigration NZ would not speculate on the reasons why individuals are choosing to still submit an EOI".

Carley said the ability for applicants with current expressions of interests to choose to withdraw and request a refund was "currently under consideration by the Government".

He said people may request a refund in writing and this can be granted in "cases where it is considered to be appropriate".

A petition, urging the Government to lift the moratorium on applications for Parent Category immigration visas, surpassed 8000 signatures – it closes tomorrow.

(Source: NZ Herald)

29/01/19 - New data reveals net migration may have peaked in 2016

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Annual net migration slowed to about 43,400 in the year ended November.

New statistics suggest the strong migration that has fuelled much of the country's recent economic growth and housing demand may have peaked a year earlier than previously thought.

Annual net migration slowed to about 43,400 in the year ended November, from about 45,200 in the October year and almost 53,800 in the year ended November 2017.

The latest estimate, using a new outcomes-based measure developed by Stats NZ, shows that departures increased to about 100,600 in the November year, from about 97,200 in the October year. Arrivals were also higher but increased by a smaller margin, climbing to 144,000 in the November year from about 142,400.

Monthly estimates suggest net migration in November fell to a six-month low of about 2,600, with departures jumping to 10,800 – the highest since at least May 2017 and 3,000 more than in October. Arrivals increased to about 13,500, the most since January and about 300 more than in October.

"Looking at the broader trend in migration, it's clear that net flows are well off their earlier highs and are continuing to ease," Westpac senior economist Satish Ranchhod said.

"As we have previously noted, this is a key reason we expect potential growth to take a step down over the next few years."

Statistics NZ says the new methodology should be a more accurate measure. It is based on data from border crossings rather than the stated travel intentions people put on departure cards.

Brooke Theyers, population insights senior manager, says data from the new series has delivered both higher and lower results when compared with the previous intentions-based series.

"In recent years, net migration using outcomes has been lower than for intentions," she said. "In comparison, outcomes-based arrival and departure estimates are consistently higher."

While historic peaks and troughs tend to be close, she noted that the new series suggests net migration peaked in July 2016, about a year earlier than previously reported using the intentions-based data.

While the data will be volatile, ASB noted the 144,000 persons who arrived planning to stay for a year or more in New Zealand was the highest annual total since early 2017 and was both "a reflection and a support" to the relative resilience of the local economy.

Other data today showed 3.85 million tourists came to New Zealand in the November year, 3.6 percent higher than a year earlier and a new record. The 385,800 visitor arrivals in November were 7 per cent higher than a year earlier.

(Source: NZ Herald, BusinessDesk By: Gavin Evans)

25/01/19 - Mike Hosking: We need more immigrants

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COMMENT:

Quick question, how does the closure of the Madam Woo restaurant in Dunedin help our economy?

It doesn't.

Why did it close? Because of a lack of skilled people to work in it. What's driving this is the government's inability to see the obvious and act on it?

The number of skilled migrants coming to this country has halved. Why? Because we make it too hard for them.

Industry after industry is going to the government and the appropriate department, and arguing their case to get their labour and the skills required onto the shortage list.

If it's not on the shortage list, you have to hire locals. What if you can't hire locals? Well, you go bust. How is this good business? How is this any way to run the economy? How many businesses have to go bust because they simply couldn't get hands on deck before someone in charge realises that getting labour shouldn't be an issue?

And if it is, it should be fixed.

Trees that don't get planted, $400 a day, $2000 a week, $8000 a month, $100,000 a year. Can they get anyone locally? No, they cannot. Now, that fact we can't, it's a scandal. And it puts a lie to that tired, old union-based argument that wages aren't high enough.

$100,000 is twice the median wage in this country, and it's well above the urban average in the major cites of about $75,000.

But as big a scandal as lazy locals might be, the bigger issue for now is the damage being done to our economic base by simply refusing to do the obvious, and open the doors to those who want to work, and for those want to hire them.

And when, and if, one day a long queue of locked out locals forms, and they argue they can't get a job because all the foreigners have taken them, then let's have a look at our immigration settings. But you know what? We'll be waiting more than a lifetime for that queue to form.

Because there is now too much proof, from too many industries, involving too many jobs, and too many skills to continue to argue migration is bad, or that migration takes work from locals, because it doesn't.

Ask Madam Woo's owners. Ask anyone in hospitality, trucking, building, or any trade. They're all desperate, and they're all banging their collective heads against a government department wall who simply have not been instructed by this government to act on the bleeding obvious, and put out the hiring now sign.

(Source: NZ Herald By: Mike Hosking)

18/01/19 - The Govt will soon decide if it will reopen the parent visa, which has been closed since 2016

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A spokesman for Iain Lees-Galloway, left, said he had received more advice on the visa category at the end of last year- "that's something that still needs to go before Cabinet".

The Government appears to be inching closer to a decision on reopening the parent visa category after it was closed to clear a backlog in late 2016.

The decision would provide some much-needed clarity for the close to 6000 people who have been in limbo on the visa wait list for more than two years.

The visa category, which enabled parents to join their adult children in New Zealand if they were a resident or citizen, was temporarily closed by then-Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse in order to clear a backlog of applications.

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) officials had expected it to be re-opened

in June last year, but it remains closed.

It is unclear why the category remains closed, but Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway anticipated a decision would be made in the first half of this year.

An MBIE briefing on the outcome of the parent, partnership and dependent child visa category review showed INZ officials met Lees- Galloway on December 20, 2017 to discuss "high-level findings and conclusions from the family category reviews".

The briefing, provided to National under the Official Information Act, showed the officials expected the review of the parent category visa, which was to occur while it was temporarily closed, would conclude in June, 2018.

Under a "next steps" subheading, the briefing said officials would update the Immigration Minister by the end of February, 2018 on further information which could be provided to him to help make his decision.

Almost a year later, the Government has yet to make a decision.

A spokesman for Lees-Galloway said he had received more advice on the visa category at the end of last year and "that's something that still needs to go before Cabinet".

"I anticipate that we'll be making a decision around that in the first half of this year."

The spokesman said the Minister would make no further comment until the issue had been before Cabinet.

Immigration NZ today said the backlog of people was 5730.

Before the closure, the National Government had capped the number of visas to 4000 every two years. Prior to 2015, that number was 11,000 every two years.

Woodhouse said today the stay was meant to be a temporary measure and called on Lees-Galloway to explain why the visa category was still closed.

Woodhouse said INZ was tasked with reviewing the parent visa category to determine whether the criteria and sponsorship requirements were fit for purpose while the category was temporarily closed.

"There was a concerning anecdote about the number of parents who claimed the means to live independently from the state but who didn't, who had to apply for emergency support from social welfare from the Ministry of Social Development."

He said he had wanted to take a deeper look into this issue and to make sure criteria was in place to make sure that the 2000 people per year that were granted visas were the most worthy.

Asked what he thought had caused the holdup in re-establishing the parent visa category, Woodhouse speculated New Zealand First was behind the delay.

"Winston Peters has been heavily critical of the ability of parents to come in and stay permanently in New Zealand. By whatever means, he is delaying, deferring or cancelling the return of that visa category."

In the past, Peters had been critical of the category saying it provided easy access to New Zealand's health services and its superannuation.

(Source: NZ Herald)

17/01/19 - How the law works: Deporting unruly tourists

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Children from the unruly family travelling New Zealand were captured on CCTV taking a Christmas tree from an Auckland service station.

The travelling family causing mayhem across New Zealand has been issued with deportation liability notices, and one of them has pleaded guilty to stealing from a Caltex.

So what happens now?

Under immigration law, the unruly tourists now have three options.

They have 14 days to give Immigration NZ (INZ) a good reason why they shouldn't be deported, or they have 28 days to appeal their deportation to the Immigration and Protection Tribunal on humanitarian grounds.

Alternatively, the group can leave the country of their own accord before the appeal notice period ends.

Immigration NZ assistant manager, Peter Devoy, said it was expected that the family would cover the cost of their airfares to leave New Zealand.

"In situations where the New Zealand Government covers the cost of deportation, the individual is required to repay all costs before being granted any future visa to New Zealand," Devoy said.

The family may be barred from returning to New Zealand for five years; these details would have been included on their deportation liability notices.

If they want to re-enter the country within that time period, they must ask Immigration NZ to grant them a visa by a special direction.

INZ is under no obligation to consider those requests, to grant them, or to provide reasons for them not being granted.

Only after they've had a chance to use their appeal rights can INZ then make a deportation order and force them to leave the country.

Complicating matters, one of the family members has pleaded guilty to two charges of theft.

This strengthens the case for the family's from New Zealand. The deportation liability notices were issued on character grounds, but committing a crime is another reason INZ can use for deportation.

Tina Maria Cash, 26, appeared on two charges of theft in the Hamilton District Court on Wednesday after spending a night in the police cells.

She must pay $55.20 for the Red Bull, sunglasses and rope she stole from a Caltex in Auckland's Albany.

If Cash doesn't pay, she may not be able to leave the country.

IS THE AIRPORT PREPARED?

So their days in the country are numbered – but will there be any additional security at the airport's food court when they eat their last New Zealand meal?

Devoy said police and the relevant airlines were responsible for carrying out a "risk assessment" to determine if an escort would be required for the family, and if so, the number of escorts.

An Auckland International Airport spokesperson said if the family departed before their 28 days to appeal were up, they likely would not have to be escorted by police.

While the family's airline would have access to their travel information, the airport would not.

"We always have police and security staff on-site," the spokesperson said.

(Source: Stuff, Harrison Christian)

23/11/18 - NZ migrant numbers down to 61,800 a year

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Migration has fallen to its lowest level in three years in New Zealand in the past year.

Official figures show migration eased to 61,800 in the year that ended in October, because more people left and fewer arrived.

"Although migrant departures continue to be the driving force behind falling annual net migration, October also had a noticeable fall in the number of migrant arrivals," Stats NZ senior manager Brooke Theyers said.

"Both trends helped bring annual net migration to its lowest level since the year ended September 2015."

The level of immigration peaked in the middle of last year with a record
annual gain of 72,400.

Immigration has been declining since last year, as students and visitors on working holidays head back home, while fewer New Zealanders have returned.

High immigration levels have been a key factor driving domestic economic activity.

"We expect that migration will continue to ease back over the next few years, pulling population growth down in the process," Westpac senior economist Satish Ranchhod said.

The government said it wanted to reduce immigration, but various business sectors were lobbying to be allowed to bring in migrants workers to fill critical shortages, such as in horticulture, construction, and service industries.

(Source: RNZ News)

19/11/18 - Businesses to bear cost of migrant pay increase

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Increases in migrant worker pay could exacerbate labour shortages at a time when unemployment is historically low, according to an immigration lawyer.

Immigration New Zealand has hiked the minimum hourly wage for migrants by 60-cents to $1 to be in line with the median income.

From next week, businesses must pay lower-skilled migrants $21.25, and higher-skilled migrants at least $37.50.

The changes are only for the skilled migrant category and essential skills visa holders in industries such as trades, IT, hospitality and tourism.

Immigration manager Alejandra Mercado said the changes were designed to ensure it was approving migrants who brought the most economic benefit to New Zealand, and to improve the skill composition of people gaining residence under the skilled migrant category.

However, immigration lawyer Aaron Martin said the visa requirement changes would frustrate employers and create uncertainty for migrants that already worked here.

"[When Immigration] continually shifts goal posts over short periods of time you run the risk that you actually make New Zealand a bit unattractive, because how can people plan their lives?"

Mr Martin said if employers raised the hourly rate for migrant workers, it could put them at odds with local workers.

"A lot of people might say 'oh, they can just go to their employer and say 'give me a pay rise'. People need to understand that's outside the person's control and from an employers perspective ... introduces the issue of pay parity within their business.

"Maybe their colleagues are all going to say 'why can't we get that pay increase?' It's not actually the cost of raising that one person's wage."

Chief executive of BusinessNZ Kirk Hope agreed.

"That's going to push costs well above the minimum rate that New Zealand workers might be being paid," he said.

Mr Hope suggested lower rates for the regions, because smaller regional businesses would struggle to pay thehiked rates.

He said the hikes came at a time when unemployment was historically low, below 4 percent, and the economy relied on migrant labour to fill gaps.

Immigration New Zealand would update the minimum pay rates annually against official income statistics.

(Source; RNZ News, Madison REIDY)

24/10/18 - Immigration fees to increase from 5 November 2018

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Immigration fees and levies are reviewed regularly to ensure they accurately reflect the cost incurred in providing immigration services. New fees and levies have now been confirmed, following public consultation earlier in the year. The new fees and levies will take effect from Monday, 5 November 2018.

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has announced that immigration fees will increase for a number of visa categories, effective for applications received on or after Monday 5 November

For further details, please click here

12/10/18 - Teachers, cafe managers may be added to immigration priority list

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Teachers, construction managers and cafe and restaurant managers may get fast-track permits to immigrate to New Zealand under a new Government proposal.

The three groups are among 13 jobs proposed to be added to the Essential Skills in Demand list, which makes it easier for employers to hire workers from overseas.

Immigration NZ general manager Stephen Dunstan said adding an occupation to the list meant that employers would not have to show that there were no suitable NZ applicants for jobs, and overseas applicants would be granted work visas.

The building industry and teachers' unions welcomed the proposal in view of severe shortages in both sectors.

Master Builders Federation chief executive David Kelly said he was "very pleased" that the list includes construction project managers and building associates as well as carpenters, glaziers, plumbers, quantity surveyors and stonemasons.

Carpenters are already on the immediate skills priority list, but Ryman Healthcare has applied for them to also go on a long-term priority list which provides a two-year "work-to-residence" visa leading to permanent residence.

Project managers are on both priority lists for roading projects but not for construction projects.

"A lot of the commentary has been around trades skills like carpenters and glaziers, and while that is absolutely true, just as big an issue is those project-manager-type roles," Kelly said.

"We need to make sure that we have not just trade skills but people who are running businesses and projects, because that is where a number of the problems start when inexperienced project managers just don't know how to manage some of the bigger projects."

The Ministry of Education and other sector groups have applied to put primary teachers on both the immediate and long-term priority lists, and to put early childhood and secondary school teachers on the immediate list.

NZ Educational Institute president Lynda Stuart said her union would not oppose adding primary and early childhood education (ECE) teachers to the immediate list.

"While we won't oppose teachers being added to the list for the short term, clearly the quality and sustainability of both primary and ECE workforces are at risk. The ultimate losers will be children and their learning," she said.

She said other solutions could include bringing back bonding schemes for teachers, supporting beginning teachers better and extending student allowances and loan eligibility.

The Post Primary Teachers Association said it would also not oppose secondary teachers being added to the immediate list.

Cafe and restaurant managers are not on any priority list and the Restaurant Association has applied to add them to the long-term list.

Hospitality NZ policy and advocacy manager Nadine Mehlhopt said the industry had been asking for the move for some years. She said it was a misapprehension that "any old body" could run a cafe.

"There is some quite sensitive legislation that needs to be adhered to. There is a requirement that they have to adhere to the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act, the Food Safety Act and now the Health and Safety in Employment Act.

"It's not just dealing with the staff, but also dealing with customers. They have to be able to deal with young people and old people, people who may complain about things.

"Obviously we would prefer if possible to have New Zealanders first and foremost, but the fact of the matter is we just haven't got them."

She said a survey in 2016 found that only 1 per cent of Hospitality members were able to get a suitable manager through Work and Income, and 32 per cent said it took more than six months to find a suitable manager.

Aged care nurses are already on the immediate priority list. Ryman Healthcare, the Aged Care Association and the NZ Nurses Organisation have asked for them to be added to the long-term list.

The Stonemasonry Association has asked for stonemasons to be removed from the immediate priority list.

However the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, which runs Immigration NZ, has not expressed a view on whether any of the 14 occupations should be added to or taken off the lists, and has assessed them all as having only "moderate" evidence of skill shortages.

Jobs listed on the Jobs Online index actually declined in the year to June in 10 of the 14 occupations, and increased only for aged care nurses (up 27 per cent), fitters (up 14 per cent), glaziers (up 11 per cent) and wood machinists (up 10 per cent).

Immigration NZ granted 4684 essential skills visas to people in the 14 occupations in the year to June, including 1962 carpenters, 1043 cafe and restaurant managers and 708 aged care nurses.

The visas granted to aged care nurses represented 240 per cent of the total 284 registered nurses estimated to be employed in aged care, although the ministry noted that this was probably due to classification issues and asked for better information from the industry.

Visas granted in the year to June represented 15 per cent of all existing wood machinists, 13 per cent of carpenters, 7 per cent of stonemasons and 6 per cent of cafe and restaurant managers, but only minimal percentages of the other nine occupations.

The full list of occupations up for review is:

• Carpenter (1962 work visas granted in year to June). On immediate list now. Ryman has applied to add it to long-term list.
• Cafe Manager or Restaurant Manager (1043). Not on either list now. Restaurant Association has applied to add it to the long-term list.
• Registered Nurse (Aged Care) (708). Already on the immediate list. Ryman, Aged Care Association and NZ Nurses Organisation have applied to add it to the long-term list.
• Plumber (143). On list for Canterbury only now. Master Plumbers and Gasfitters and Drainlayers NZ have applied to add it to the immediate list in all regions.
• Secondary School Teacher (127). Not on either list now. Ministry of Education and Montessori have applied to add it to the immediate list.
• Fitter (107). Not on either list now. Timber Industry Association has applied to add it to the immediate list.
• Early Childhood Teacher (106). Not on either list now. Ministry of Education, Early Childhood Council, Te Rito Maioha, Best Start, Kindercare and Montessori have applied to add it to the immediate list.
• Construction Project Manager (97). Not on either list now. Window and Glass Association has applied to add it to immediate and long-term lists.
• Primary School Teacher (86). Not on either list now. Ministry of Education and Montessori have applied to add it to the immediate and long-term lists.
• Glazier (66). On immediate list now in Auckland, Upper North Island, Canterbury/Upper South Island. Window and Glass Association has applied to add it to the immediate list in all other regions.
• Stonemason (61). On immediate and Canterbury lists now. Stonemasonry Association has applied to remove it.
• Quantity Surveyor (60). Already on long-term list. Window and Glass Association has applied to add it to the immediate list too.
• Building Associate (59). Not on either list now. Ryman Healthcare and the Window and Glass Association have applied to add it to the immediate priority list.
• Wood Machinist (59). Not on either list now. Timber Industry Federation has applied to add it to the immediate list.

The proposed list is open for submissions until November 9 and a final list will be issued in January.

(Source: Simon Collins, NZ Herald, Education reporter)

27/09/18 - Government sets tourist tax

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Tourists will be hit by an extra charge to enter New Zealand, after Cabinet approved a $35 per visitor levy.

The levy is expected to raise an estimated $80 million a year which will be put towards infrastructure and conservation projects, Tourism Minister Kelvin Davis said.

The Government has been working on the policy for a number of months and today announced its final decision.

The International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy will be collected through visa fees and via the new Electronic Travel Authority.

Legislation was due to be passed around the middle of next year, Davis said.

He said the levy was one part of a package of initiatives designed to make sure the tourism industry is sustainable, productive and inclusive.

The levy will give New Zealand the opportunity to be a "world leader in destination management".

Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage said public consultation showed the levy had strong support, adding that 107 submitters were in favour of setting the fee at $35.

"The money raised through the levy will help improve the protection and enhancement of New Zealand's distinctive natural environment and improve tourism planning," she said.

The chance to enjoy Aotearoa's spectacular landscapes and nature are a major reason international visitors come to our country,"

Earlier this year, Davis had suggested the tax would be between $25-$35 per visitor.

But Cabinet has settled on the $35 fee.

In July, he noted some of the concerns of the tourism industry and the airline industry but said the levy would not add major delays at the airport.

"We don't believe the financial burden should rest solely on the shoulder of New Zealanders, we do believe visitors should pay their fair share."

Davis said the intention is for funds to be split evenly between conservation and tourism.

He said further work with stakeholders would now be done to decide the best ways to spend the levy's revenue.

"We have a couple of options on how to do this and will work through those with our partners, but the main feature of the levy is that its revenue will be set aside for conservation work and tourism infrastructure."

(Source: NZME)