06/09/12 - Unemployment below 6pc by 2014, says Ministry

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New Zealand's jobless rate is forecast to fall below 6 per cent in 2014, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment says in forecasts released this morning, with ageing baby boomers more than holding up their end in the labour market.

The June quarter household labour force survey surprised forecasters with a 0.1 percentage point rise in the unemployment rate to 6.8 per cent, rather than an anticipated fall.

However, the MBIE forecasts see unemployment falling to 6.2 per cent in March 2013 and 5.9 per cent in March 2014, about eight months out from the next scheduled general election.

The report expects a gradual pick-up in employment rates to continue, and for the number of people willing to work rising to a historically high 69.5 per cent, compared with 68.8 per cent at present.

"The domestic recovery is expected to accelerate as the Canterbury rebuild ramps up," MBIE says. "This will lead to a steady improvement in the labour market, with moderate employment growth in the short-term

However, regional and industry variation will persist."

The newly minted ministry is now publishing labour market statistical analysis and forecasts previously provided by the Department of Labour, which was included in a "super-ministry" merger to create MBIE earlier this year.

"Given the weak pace of the current economic recovery, employment growth looks strong compared to the 1997/98 experience", when the bounce-back in economic growth was far stronger than the current prolonged, shallow recession.

The ministry forecasts the rate at which new jobs are created to rise from 1.4 per cent this year to 2.1 per cent in 2014.

A resilient performance by people over the age of 55 is a notable feature of current labour market dynamics, the report says, noting participation rates by older people are "very high" by international standards.

A steady increase in workforce participation by older workers added more than 40,000 people in the last five years, accounting for one-third of the total increase in the labour force in that time.

"This is attributable to both the increase in participation and the bulge in this cohort as baby boomers move towards this age group," the MBIE report says. "The high participation of New Zealand's ageing population retains human capital, skills and knowledge in the workforce for longer. This helps sustain the income required to maintain living standards."

Migration flows are also "very large" relative to the size of the total labour force, the report says.

"For example, in 2011 there were 84,000 permanent long-term immigrants - much larger than the 58,000 school leavers in that year", with temporary working migrant inflows even greater.

Even so, there was a net long term migration loss to the country as a whole, mainly to Australia, and an 11 per cent fall in the number of migrants applying under the skilled migrant category.

(Source NZ Herald, Business Desk)

03/09/12 - New powers for Immigration officers to protect New Zealand’s border

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Immigration New Zealand officers have a range of new powers coming into effect today which will help protect the integrity of our border, says Immigration Minister Nathan Guy.

“Compliance officers now have increased powers to search at the border, and the ability to detain people liable for deportation for a limited period of time.

“They also have the power to obtain biometric information like fingerprints, and greater access to the records of education providers.

“These changes will allow immigration officers to effectively enforce the Immigration Act and reduce their reliance on other agencies like the Police. It gives them similar powers to agencies like New Zealand Customs and Fisheries officers.

“This will allow officers to act quickly on information they receive to deport people who are in the country illegally.

“I’ve seen for myself the rigorous training that officers have undergone at the Royal New Zealand Police College in preparation for the introduction of these new powers. This has included methods of safe detention, driver training, risk and conflict management, and first aid.”

Last year the Compliance Operations team undertook 843 site visits to horticultural areas, educational institutes, workplaces and residential addresses to ensure the Immigration Act is being followed.

They also assisted with 1410 voluntary departures, served 1332 deportation liability notices and affected 742 deportations in 2011/2012.

(Source Beehive)

31/08/12 - Speech to the 2012 New Zealand Association for Migration and Investment

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Good morning and thank you for asking me along to speak to your conference today.

Can I acknowledge Tuariki Delamere, MC for the Conference, and Simon Laurent, Chairman of NZAMI.

Today I want to speak to you about a range of important immigration issues that I’ve been working on as Minister over the last nine months since I took on this very important portfolio.

In particular I want to touch on:

• changes we have made to family policy
• Immigration New Zealand’s Vision 2015
• encouraging export education
• mass arrivals legislation
• and the role immigration can play in boosting the economy.

Christchurch rebuild

Rebuilding Canterbury is one of the Government’s four main priorities for our second term in office.

It's the single biggest economic undertaking in New Zealand’s history, and thousands of trained and qualified workers will be required across a range of industries.

Our first priority will continue to be jobs for New Zealanders, but we have to accept that we just don’t have enough people with the right skills to do it all ourselves. We will need a lot of specialist overseas workers in the coming months and years to come.

The Canterbury Skill Shortage List highlights occupations currently on the Immediate and Long Term Skill Shortage Lists that are needed for the Canterbury rebuild.

Suitable applicants who meet the requirements of these occupations listed, and who have a job offer in Canterbury may be granted a temporary work visa without a labour market check.

This is about ensuring that policies are in place to support firms where there are identified skill shortages.

We’re also trying to do what we can to ensure a streamlined approach for these employers so that they get the workers they need as quickly as possible.

Many applicants have been able to meet the criteria and over the last year more than 300 people have been granted visas for work associated with the Christchurch rebuild.

What I want to ensure is that Immigration New Zealand has the systems in place to quickly and efficiently process the entry of migrants who are required when the pace of the rebuild increases.

I believe that Christchurch has a hugely exciting future, as anyone will be able to see from even a quick glance at the Recovery plan launched by my colleague Gerry Brownlee last month.

Export education

Across Government we are working to support the rebuild, and another initiative I’ve announced recently is increased work rights for international students in the region.

This trial will apply to those who attend quality education providers and will run for 18 months. Under the policy, students will be eligible to work 20 hours per week provided they are studying an English Language programme of at least 14 weeks duration or a Level 4 Foundation Certificate of one academic year’s duration.

The export education sector in Christchurch has taken a real hit because of the earthquakes.

I’m confident that this pragmatic move will give students yet another reason to choose Christchurch, and also have the added bonus of stimulating other sectors of the economy.

Family policy changes

One of the bigger changes in immigration policy I’ve announced this year is around family policies.

My priority as Minister is to maximise the economic value that immigration delivers to New Zealand, and these changes help achieve that.

They will be an important tool in attracting and retaining skilled migrants, while at the same time eventually saving the taxpayer around $40 million a year.

We want to ensure that the focus remains on giving priority to migrants who can make a real contribution to New Zealand.

As you know, there will be a new two-tier process for the parents of New Zealand citizens and residents who want to migrate here. Applications from parents who have higher income sponsors, or who bring a guaranteed income or funds, will be processed faster than other applications.

As a result, many skilled migrants who have residence here can sponsor their parents and will receive a quicker decision with less red tape.

You will have got the picture now that we are very focused on attracting migrants who will bring the most economic benefits to New Zealand.

Investor policies and IGMS

Another good example of this is the investor migration scheme, which is designed to attract more business migrants who have the commercial nous and global networks to create jobs and grow our economy.

Since it was revamped in 2009 the scheme has attracted almost $1 billion in actual and potential investment funds, which is a very impressive feat.

These policies are about being innovative and doing everything we can to address the fall in the number of migrants coming here, as a result of the global economic slowdown. We have to be smart, nimble and creative to ensure we stay ahead of our competitors in attracting the talent we want.

This is also why we are investing $75 million into the new Immigration Global Management System (IGMs).

This is a state of the art ICT system that will deliver quicker, more responsive and secure immigration services. It’s a good example of what the Prime Minister meant when he said that the public sector needs to make greater use of technology to deliver better services.

I’m confident that IGMS will transform the way Immigration New Zealand does business and help put us on a level playing field with our competitors. You’ll really start to see the benefits of IGMS next year when the first elements of the new system are delivered and students will be able to apply online for visas.

Applications will be processed even faster.  Once IGMS is fully implemented in 2015, customers who apply for New Zealand visas will have their own personal online immigration account, which means they’ll be able to track the progress of their applications - just as we can all do now if we apply for our car registration online.

There will be fewer visa types and application processes will be simplified so it will be a win-win situation for the customer.

Once again, this fits with the Government’s focus on attracting migrants who will bring the most economic benefits to New Zealand - skilled workers, business people and investors, academics, entertainers and students.

Attracting skilled migrants

There are some other important initiatives underway to attract skilled migrants.

Around a month ago I unveiled the revamped ‘New Zealand Now’ website, which has been a crucial part of INZ’s attraction marketing activity for several years.

Its purpose is to attract people with the skills New Zealand needs, to capture their details, and from there to move them along the migration pathway.

The redeveloped website features videos of migrants telling their own stories, and uses technology to send targeted messages to people depending on the part of the world they are viewing the site from.

On top of this, the new, upgraded ‘SkillFinder’ helps prospective migrants to find work in New Zealand.

This is a tool which helps employers with a skill gap to connect with prospective migrants.

The New Zealand Now database contains the details of over 175,000 people from around the world, with around 1,000 potential new migrants entering the pool every week.

SkillFinder allows employers to search the database, not only by occupation, but also by years’ work experience, and the country in which they gained their experience and academic qualifications.

This means that employers can see how many people with the skills they need are in the database, and how transferable those skills might be.

Student fraud

I want to say a few quick words student visa fraud which was uncovered by Immigration New Zealand officials in Beijing.  This strikes at the very heart of one of the key things we are trying to do - boost the number of people who see New Zealand as the first choice for study because of our deserved reputation as a centre for academic excellence.

However, I would point out that the discovery shows there are robust systems in place. You will appreciate that it’s always a delicate balance between processing applications as quickly as possible, while ensuring that they’re verified to ensure they’re genuine.

This is the sort of risk management Immigration New Zealand staff are having to apply all over the world.  The discovery of the fraud in Beijing shows that the system is working.

It’s important that the investigation gets to the bottom of what went wrong in this case so that we can learn from any mistakes.  The importance of export education to the New Zealand economy cannot be underestimated. The industry already generates $2.3 billion for our economy and we have an ambitious target to double the value of the sector over the next 15 years.

Other student measures

You may be aware of the other practical measures we have put in place to encourage international students to come here.

Changes to health screening which will cut costs and red tape have just come into effect. International fee paying students no longer routinely need to provide full medical certificates and will only be screened for TB.This will greatly reduce the cost and hassle for more than 60,000 students who will save around $17 million a year in medical costs.

To mitigate any impact on health services, Immigration New Zealand will require the student to hold appropriate medical insurance. But this will not be an issue for most students, as they are ineligible for health services in New Zealand and education providers are required to ensure they hold insurance.

I’m convinced that these initiatives - combined with recent improvements in processing times for student visas - will make a huge difference to growing our export education industryand help us achieve our ambitious targets.

Mass arrivals

Another issue this year has been the Government’s legislation around irregular mass arrivals.

This week the Select Committee released its report into the Immigration Amendment Bill, along with minority reports from Labour and the Greens

New Zealand has been lucky so far in that no boats have reached our shores, despite some indicating they wished to. Distance has protected us, but this is no reason for complacency.

In 2010 a boat carrying nearly 500 asylum seekers reached Canada. If they can make it that far, they can certainly reach New Zealand.

The recent Exercise Barrier on Auckland harbour showed us what a major operation it would be dealing with such an arrival. We want to send a strong message that New Zealand is not an easy target for those engaged in the cruel and dangerous business of people smuggling.

Last week I was in Australia where this topic has been a major political issue. With the Houston report there is now closer political consensus with Australia moving back to offshore processing.

I visited the Villawood detention centre in Sydney and saw for myself how a detention centre operates.

This year has seen a surge in the number of boats targeting Australia, with over 7000 people already arriving this year. That is a record number and we are still only in August.

The journey by sea is extremely dangerous and many people have lost their lives already. Make no mistake, people smuggling is a cruel and ruthless business.

It’s too early to say whether or not the Australian policy changes will have any impact on the likelihood of illegal boats targeting New Zealand, but we should not rule it out.

It’s important that New Zealand is prepared, and I’m hopeful this legislation will be passed through Parliament by the end of the year.

Conclusion

Finally, I want to mention how much hard work has gone into improving the performance of Immigration New Zealand over the last few years.

I’m very pleased that we’ve seen:

• an increase in client and employer satisfaction
• much better processing times, and
• and a marked increase in the quality of decision-making.

I’m proud of how far we’ve come, but I want you to know that we’re not stopping there - we’re looking to be even better.

Thank you again for asking me to open your conference and I look forward to any questions you might have.

(Source Beehive)

30/08/12 - implementation of new powers for Immigration Officers on 3 September 2012

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Additional information – implementation of new powers for Immigration Officers on 3 September 2012

What will the changes mean for the detention and deportation process?

• For a person who is to be taken into custody and deported, the only difference in the process is that an Immigration officer will now be able to detain the person, as opposed to a police officer.

Who will be authorised to use these powers?

• Only officers from the Compliance Operations Branch of Immigration New Zealand who have successfully completed training and been assessed as competent, will be authorised to exercise the powers of detention, and entry and search for the purpose of deportation.

When will the powers be used?

• The powers will not be used arbitrarily. In most cases INZ will only invoke these new powers when the client has disengaged from the immigration process. In line with current practice, INZ's preference is to seek voluntary departures, where appropriate, as this continues to be in everyone’s best interest. This includes the client, who, by organising their own departure, will avoid a ban on re-entry to New Zealand in most circumstances.

What training was undertaken to prepare for the new powers?

• Training for compliance officers who will be authorised to exercise the new powers was developed and delivered in conjunction with the Royal New Zealand Police College. It incorporated training on the rights of detainees, duty of care, and first aid.

What if a client has an open application or other avenues for staying in NZ?

• Nothing has changed in this regard.  As with current protocols, INZ will generally not proceed with deportation where a client has an open application or other avenues for potentially remaining in New Zealand. This will continue to be assessed on a case by case basis.

Will clients still have access to legal advice?

• Clients who are detained have a right to consult a lawyer and this will be facilitated, as soon as practicable and in private.

When can a client contact their licensed adviser?

• Clients with a nominated licensed adviser will, where possible, be given the opportunity to contact that adviser prior to any interviews, and prior to proceeding with deportation.

Is there a way for clients to express any dissatisfaction with how they have been treated?

• If a person wishes to complain about the use of powers by an Immigration officer they may use the existing Client Complaint Resolution Process or lodge a complaint through the Office of the Ombudsman.

What do we, as legal representatives or advisers, have to do?

• INZ encourages them to become familiar with the new powers. INZ also encourage them to continue to advise their clients who may be liable for deportation to make early contact with Immigration New Zealand, via their adviser, or INZ contact centre and branch network, to discuss their circumstances.

(Source INZ)

09/08/12 - New work rights to boost export education in Canterbury

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Immigration Minister Nathan Guy has announced that work rights for English language students in Canterbury will be extended, giving a boost to the export education sector in the region.

“Foreign students are an important industry for Canterbury, but numbers have taken a hit since the major earthquakes,” says Mr Guy.

“This new initiative will help attract more international students to Christchurch, stimulating the industry and local economy.”

Under the trial, which will be run and closely monitored for 18 months, work rights will be extended to English language students who attend quality education providers in Canterbury.

Students will be eligible to work 20 hours per week provided they are studying an English Language programme of at least 14 weeks duration or a Level 4 Foundation Certificate of one academic year’s duration.

At the moment part-time work eligibility for English Language students is limited to those who already have a reasonable level of English and are enrolled in programmes of at least six months.

“The sector has told us that eligibility for work rights will help attract students, and is a practical way in which we can help in the rebuild of Canterbury,” Mr Guy says.

“This trial will help to boost student numbers, and have flow-on effects for the wider economy by attracting more people to live, work and spend in the region.”

The change will come into effect on 27 August 2012 and be reviewed after 18 months.

11/07/12 - Ministers welcome action on visa fraud

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Acting Immigration Minister Kate Wilkinson and Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce have welcomed today’s operation by Immigration New Zealand to take action with a number of people who are in New Zealand as a result of student visa fraud.

“This fraud was uncovered in a regular audit by Immigration New Zealand. It’s pleasing to see this kind of illegal activity detected and acted on quickly,” Ms Wilkinson says.

The fraud involved 279 student visas processed at Immigration New Zealand’s Beijing branch, and action is now underway to find the 231 students who are presently in New Zealand.

Ms Wilkinson says it appears that two agents in China were responsible for the fraudulent visas.

“Ministers have been regularly briefed over the last few weeks as investigations have been carried out and those investigations have led to today’s actions,” Ms Wilkinson says.

Mr Joyce says the fraud, though significant, represents a very small percentage of the 25,000 applications received from Chinese students each year.

“We pride ourselves on the high quality of our international education, and this is a very important industry for New Zealand,” Mr Joyce says.

“100,000 international student visa applications are received each year and we want to ensure that we do everything we can to maintain that reputation and the integrity of our student visa system.”

Government agencies, including the New Zealand Qualifications Authority and Education New Zealand, will continue to work closely with Immigration New Zealand as this issue is resolved.

(Source Beehive)

The Government says it is investigating whether Chinese nationals who work for Immigration New Zealand are involved in nearly 300 cases of student visa fraud.

Immigration New Zealand revealed on Wednesday that 279 student applications originating from China have been found to contain some form of fraud.

Of that, 231 people are in New Zealand, the remainder have either left the country or not entered yet. The fraud consists mainly of false qualifications and falsified bank statements.

An Immigration New Zealand investigator has travelled to Beijing to look at whether Chinese nationals who work for the organisation were involved in the fraud.

Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce says the fraud was discovered about a month ago.

"There are investigations of whether perhaps one or two Chinese nationals who were working for Immigration New Zealand may have also been involved. It's important to stress that's not resolved at this point in time and that's for Immigration to work through as part of their ongoing investigation."

The acting deputy chief executive of Immigration New Zealand says the fraud was detected through routine random sampling of student visa applications at the agency's branch in Beijing.

Steve Stuart says it appears two agents in China facilitated the fraudulent activity. He told Radio New Zealand's Checkpoint programme on Wednesday the students claimed to have academic qualifications, but that was pointless because they did not need them to get visas.

"But because they had them, it put them into a class of processing that required less verification. That was something that they must have become aware of and therefore they submitted fraudulent documentation to essentially ensure they got a smoother ride through our verification process."

Mr Stuart says of the 231 people in New Zealand, 60 are now unlawfully in the country as their visas have expired and they are liable for deportation. The remaining 171 people are on valid visas, but may become liable for deportation depending on their individual circumstances.

Twenty education providers in Auckland have enrolled people implicated in the fraud, but Mr Stuart says there is no evidence they were involved in the activity.

Acting Minister of Immigration Kate Wilkinson says Immigration New Zealand receives about 25,000 applications a year from China and, in the scheme of things, the number of fraud cases is small, but significant.

Ms Wilkinson says the fact that the fraud was discovered shows that the system is working.

Immigration New Zealand's investigation is likely to take several weeks.

(Source RNZ)

21/06/12 - GDP growth forces rethink on rate cut

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Traders have stopped betting on a rate cut by the Reserve Bank after the New Zealand economy grew more than twice the expected pace in the first three months of the year as good weather conditions stoked agricultural production.

The market is betting the central bank will add 1 basis point to the 2.5 per cent official cash rate over the next year, according to the Overnight Index Swap curve, removing the expectation of 44 basis points of cuts a fortnight ago.

The turnaround comes after Government figures showed the economy grew 1.1 per cent in the first three months of the year, its fastest quarterly pace in five years.

"You've got to dispense any thought of a rate cut from a domestic economy perspective," said Doug Steel, economist at Bank of New Zealand.

The New Zealand dollar rose above 80 US cents for the first time in 2 ½ months, and recently traded at 79.94 cents, while swap rates climbed across the board, with the two-year swap rate up 11 basis points to 2.81 per cent and the 10-year swap rate up 10 basis points to 3.84 per cent.

The growth was more than twice what markets were expecting, and almost three times the Reserve Bank's forecast in its June monetary policy statement, prompting some economists to question the accuracy of the numbers.

Last year's first-quarter gross domestic product figure was more than twice the market's expectation when first released, though it was subsequently revised. This year the department has removed and then added back one quarter to 2008's deep recession.

Darren Gibbs, chief economist at Deutsche Bank, said he struggled to see how the economy grew at such a pace in the first quarter of this year.

"By looking at other sources of data, nothing suggests the economy is doing okay," he said. "The Reserve Bank will be more circumspect in how it interprets this."

Statistics New Zealand put much of the gain down to bigger agricultural production after the stellar growing conditions, with the agriculture, forestry and fishing sector growing 2.1 per cent to $2.12 billion.

Since the end of 2011, dairy prices have been falling on Fonterra Cooperative Group's online trading platform, and the exporter recently trimmed its forecast payout to farmers as a resiliently high kiwi dollar erodes the value of overseas sales.

BNZ's Steel said those growing conditions probably won't be repeated, and there will be some impact as that effect washes through the annual numbers.

The manufacturing sector rose 1.8 per cent to $4.72 billion as greater milk production stoked output of dairy products. Food, beverage and tobacco manufacturing climbed 3.2 per cent.

Figures yesterday showed the current account deficit widened deficit of $2.8 billion in the quarter on weaker dairy prices and a drop off in visitors after the Rugby World Cup.

There was a $416 million build-up in inventories due to greater manufacturing and a decrease in exports.

Much of the economy's gain was in an inventory build-up, and Steel said that could also lead to an overhang in supply that could drag on future growth.

"Increases in inventory were concentrated in manufacturing, particular the food and beverage and metals industries," Steel said.

Economic activity was up 2.4 per cent in the March quarter compared to the same period a year earlier. The economy grew 1.7 per cent in the year ended March 31, beating the
Treasury's forecast of 1.6 per cent. The economy was $202 billion in current prices, Statistics NZ said.

Business investment rose 2.1 per cent in the quarter, its biggest rise since December 2010, on more imports of plant and machinery and non-residential building work.

Construction activity shrank 0.1 per cent to $1.47 billion as building work remains subdued ahead of the Canterbury reconstruction.

Information, media and telecommunications shrank 3 per cent to $2.1 billion in the quarter, the biggest drag on the economy in the period.

Retail, trade and accommodation grew 4.5 per cent to $9.59 billion in the quarter.

That came as household consumption remained muted, up 0.1 per cent to $21.18 billion in the quarter.

(Source NZ Herald, Businessdesk)

12/06/12 - Speech for the Parliamentary Breakfast for World Refugee Day

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Welcome. It is my great pleasure to be hosting this breakfast today to acknowledge World Refugee Day, which occurs a week from today.

I would like to pass on my thanks to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and Refugee Services Aotearoa New Zealand, who have initiated this event. I would especially like to welcome from Australia Mr Rick Towle, the Regional Representative from the UNHCR.

I would also like to acknowledge the other Members of Parliament present here today and distinguished guests.

World Refugee Day

World Refugee Day carries a very challenging message to the world – that one family torn apart by war is too many.

New Zealand is proud of its contribution over the years to providing solutions to the world’s refugee problem. There are a large number of refugees in the world today – with 10.5 million people currently of concern to UNHCR. New Zealand’s commitment since we began resettling young Polish refugees in 1944 has given approximately 33,000 refugees the opportunity to seek a better future here.

Over the years, the faces of refugees have changed – from the refugees of the Second World War in Europe, to those from South East Asia, from Africa and the Middle East, and, more recently, those from South Asia and South America.

But one fact remains constant across all these continents - people have been forced to leave their homeland.

New Zealand is one of only a small number of countries that takes part in UNHCR’s regular refugee resettlement programme. New Zealand remains committed to our international obligations through the 1951 United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and to the 1967 Protocol.

Through the annual quota of 750 refugees, through our refugee and protection determination processes, and through our family reunification policies, New Zealand will continue to give refugees from around the world an opportunity – a chance of a new life, a chance to put down roots and make a new place home.

Contribution of Refugees to New Zealand

The Government’s commitment plays an important role, and so does the commitment of the range of organisations that support refugee resettlement. Providing warm welcome and giving refugees the foundations on which to establish a future is something that we are all committed to.

However, it is the determination of refugees themselves that plays perhaps the greatest role.

Two weeks ago, I addressed the National Refugee Resettlement Forum, held here in Wellington. I was impressed to see the numbers of former refugee participants who are actively engaged in dialogue at the Forum with government and non-government agencies, and with the UNHCR.

The theme for the Forum was “Breaking Barriers, Building on Resilience”, and there was a strong focus on how to overcome barriers to employment.

Employment offers a way for refugees to take part in New Zealand life, to connect with Kiwis, to up-skill, and to improve their English. A job enables families to be independent, self-sufficient, and to improve their lives.

One of the highlights were stories from 3 refugees with very different backgrounds.

• Emile Pacifique, who was a pastor in his home country of the Congo, is now a social worker in Wellington. He had to adjust his initial career expectations when arriving in New Zealand, and he overcame initial barriers to finding work by working as a volunteer in the mental health area, which resulted in the offer of a permanent position. He and his family bought a house and in seven years became mortgage free. This is a fantastic achievement.
• Beda Dahal, from Bhutan, came to New Zealand in early 2010 as a trained teacher. However, on finding her qualifications were not recognised here, she took the opportunity to retrain as an early childhood teacher and is currently doing her Bachelors in Early Childhood Education whilst working part time at an Early Learning Centre. All of this, whilst being a mother of three and within two years of arriving in New Zealand.
• And finally Bruck Gebreselassie, who came to New Zealand as a 16-year-old, knowing only 100 words in English. Bruck completed his sixth and seventh form at Mt Albert Grammar and completed his Masters in Civil Engineering at Auckland University. He now works for an engineering firm in Auckland.

These stories are inspirational and demonstrate the extent to which resettlement is a life-changing experience, with both challenges and rewards.

These people have worked hard to overcome the challenges of arriving in a country where the society, language, culture, and indeed the labour market is completely different from what they were used to.

Future Focus

Despite the many success stories, we know there is always room for improvement. In short, we want better outcomes for refugees.
You will know that the Government’s election manifesto contains a commitment to roll out a whole-of-government strategy that will support refugees to become self-sufficient and participate in New Zealand communities, while reducing dependency on state support.

This is a major piece of work for the Government. I took the strategy to my Cabinet colleagues earlier in the year, and decisions have been made to progress a Detailed Business Case for the strategy.

Once that is completed, and Cabinet have considered it, I will make a further announcement on the plan later this year.

Whatever the outcome, the Government remains strongly committed to resettling 750 quota refugees annually and supporting those refugees to adapt to life in New Zealand.

Many people here today have been actively involved in developing the Refugee Resettlement Strategy process so far. Your contributions are valuable because it’s very important that we hear from people at the coal face, and from a refugee perspective.

Conclusion

Let me finish by thanking again all of you for demonstrating here today your support for New Zealand’s refugee resettlement programme. It is my great pleasure to mark the importance of World Refugee Day with you here today and I thank the UNHCR and Refugee Services Aotearoa for the opportunity to do so.

Thank you.

(Source Beehive, Nathan Guy)

05/06/12 - Pacific immigration ballots to be drawn this Friday

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Citizens of Samoa, Tonga, Kiribati and Tuvalu who have registered for this year’s Samoa Quota and Pacific Access Category will soon find out if their applications are selected in the ballot run at the end of the week.

Acting Head of Immigration New Zealand Steve Stuart says over 8,000 registration applications were received this year for the ballot and Immigration New Zealand will only contact those who are successful in the ballot draw and are eligible to apply for residence under the Samoa Quota or Pacific Access Category.

The Samoa Quota ballot will take place at the New Zealand High Commission building in Apia and it will be a significant event as it coincides with Samoa’s 50^th independence celebration. The Pacific Access Category ballots draw will take place at the Immigration New Zealand Nuku’alofa branch.

Mr Stuart says the team has worked well together to ensure that all registration applications are entered successfully in the system and check all applications to ensure that those applying meet the quota registration requirements.

(Source INZ)

30/05/12 - Research shows benefits of overseas worker scheme

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New research on the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme shows it continues to have major benefits for workers, employers and the countries involved, says Immigration Minister Nathan Guy.

“The RSE policy was designed to help with seasonal labour shortages in the horticulture and viticulture industries, and this new research by the Department of Labour shows the scheme is working well.

“Research on earnings and return rates found that the majority of new workers will return to work another season in New Zealand, many for the same employer.

“RSE workers are paid the same rate as New Zealand workers and have the same protections under law. Data shows that mean gross seasonal earnings are around NZ$12,700 per worker, most of whom spend between three and seven months working in New Zealand.

“The 2011 survey of RSE employers found that most have enjoyed better quality, more productive workers and a more stable workforce. Many say that RSE workers have helped their businesses to expand.

“At the same time it is providing valuable income, skills and experience that workers can take back to their home countries.

“Up to 8,000 overseas workers come to New Zealand under the RSE scheme every year. Employers have an obligation to get unemployed New Zealanders into jobs, but there are some industries that just cannot find enough workers, particularly at peak times.

“Up to 50,000 seasonal workers across New Zealand can be required at harvest time and RSE workers make up 6-7,000 of that, which equates to 10-15%.

“These reports are encouraging and the Government will continue to monitor the scheme closely,” says Mr Guy.

The two reports Return Migration and Earnings of Workers in New Zealand’s Recognised Seasonal Employer Scheme and RSE Monitoring: Key Findings from the 2011 Employers’ Survey are available at http://www.dol.govt.nz/publications/research/rse-return-workers and http://www.dol.govt.nz/publications/research/rse-employer-survey2011

For information on RSE scheme, click here.

Key findings on RSE return rates and earnings

• In the four seasons of the RSE scheme to date, over 24,600 seasonal workers have participated. The number of individual workers is around 13,900 people, indicating that many workers are returning for another season in New Zealand.
• Circular migration is a core feature of RSE policy and this is reflected in the worker return rates. Over half (54 percent) of all RSE workers have returned to New Zealand at least once to work in another season.
• Surveys of RSE employers show returning workers are often seen as more productive and this is reflected in employers’ recruitment practices. Almost 90 percent of returning workers return to a job with a previous employer.
• Since the RSE began in 2007/08 the depth of worker experience has increased. In the 2010/11 season (the fourth season), three out of five RSE workers were returning workers – only 38 percent were participating for the first time. Over 1,000 workers from the first season have participated in all four seasons to date.
• Most RSE workers are employed between three and seven months, well above the minimum required by the policy. Analysis of RSE earnings data shows that mean gross seasonal earnings are approximately $12,700 per RSE worker. Earnings fluctuate between workers but, on average, have remained fairly consistent across the seasons to date.

Key findings from the 2011 survey of employers

• Recognised Seasonal Employers (RSEs) continue to source seasonal workers extensively from other sources, with 93 percent employing workers from Work and Income and 99 percent sourcing seasonal workers from the local community.
• 47 percent of RSEs would like to recruit the same group of workers for next season. Employers report that returning workers ‘hit the ground running’ and are immediately productive compared to first-time workers.
• 77 percent of RSEs reported no difficulties in providing pastoral care for their RSE workers, and 81 percent of RSEs found pastoral care management was easier in 2011 than in the previous year.
• Pacific RSE workers are rated higher than all other employee groups for their dependability, enthusiasm while working, and their productivity.
• Some employers experience character issues such as altercations between workers or not fitting in, but the annual surveys indicate that the proportion experiencing these problems does not appear to be increasing.
• Almost all RSEs (93 percent) say that the benefits of participating in the scheme outweigh the costs. Most agree that participation in the programme has resulted in better quality and more productive workers, and a more stable workforce than in previous years. Returning workers contribute to this outcome.
• 75 percent of RSEs report having extended their area of cultivation since 2007. Of these, 77 percent say that participation in the scheme has been a factor encouraging this expansion.

Source Beehive, Nathan Guy