10/01/11 - Business migration delivering big dollars

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The Government’s business migration scheme has attracted $416 million of potential investment capital that is poised to flow into the economy, Immigration Minister Jonathan Coleman announced today.

‘’We developed a policy package that makes New Zealand very attractive to business migrants, and they’re staking their confidence in New Zealand at a time of difficult international financial conditions,’’ Dr Coleman says.

‘’The scheme has been operating for 16 months and already it’s attracted two and half times the amount of potential investment capital compared to the previous Government’s policy.’’

To date over $102 million has been transferred and invested in New Zealand under the Business Migrant Policy and $133 million has been approved for funds transfer. Applications from investors worth an additional $181 million are being processed.

Dr Coleman says the Government’s scheme identified the need to make it easier for people to invest money in New Zealand without compromising the security and integrity of the immigration system.

‘’For investor migrants we streamlined the previous three categories into two. We now have more realistic requirements for capital, language skills and time spent in New Zealand annually, and people have more investment options.

‘’We’re committed to policies that attract investment and make it easier to do business in New Zealand, and these figures reflect that. We’re now looking at whether we can make these policies even more attractive to investors.’’

ANZ Managing Director Wealth John Body says the Government’s investor policy is attracting not only investors’ wealth, but also their business nous.

‘’We have worked with a large number of individuals from different parts of the world who have entered New Zealand under the Government’s investor policies. These policies are attracting people to New Zealand with fantastic skills and international networks.

‘’That is good for businesses that may otherwise have been short of capital or lacking in international networks and ultimately very good for the New Zealand economy.’’

Phil McCaw, Chairman of the Angel Association of New Zealand which provides support and advice to new businesses, says the business migration package is an ideal vehicle to provide New Zealand entrepreneurs with much-needed capital.

‘’I see the investor migrant programme as a potential game changer for young New Zealand businesses. I've had the pleasure of meeting a few of the individuals coming in under this programme and they are world class.

‘’The combination of their expertise, global networks and cash available for investment has the potential to provide the fuel that many NZ businesses currently need.’’

(Source Beehive)

04/01/11 - German's 20-year tour ends today

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Twenty years on the run from immigration officials will end when Jurgen Karl Ahrens is deported this morning.

The 72-year-old German overstayer was arrested on Thursday in the Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park after being spotted by the public.

He was wanted by police on a charge of assault at Fox Glacier in 2004 and after being arrested, appeared in the Timaru District Court before being transferred to the Christchurch courts yesterday.

After his appearance he was remanded in custody, where he was to remain until immigration officials deport him to Germany today.

Twizel police constable Joe Rush spent time with Ahrens after his arrest.

The scruffy-looking man was not perturbed at welcoming 2011 in at a Twizel police station cell, telling Rush: "This is an interesting part of my life."

Ahrens was fit – a keen tramper, climber and kayaker.

At the station Ahrens was relaxed. With long, straggly hair, unshaven and unshowered, he wore a long-sleeved cotton shirt, brown trousers and old shoes.

"If you saw him you would think he's a bit of a rough bugger."

However, his appearance belied his manner, Rush said.

"He just constantly talked," he said.

"He speaks English well, he was very polite and was quite easy to talk to."

Ahrens showered at the police station and had a cup of tea. He said he lived in a flat in Christchurch's Linwood suburb, rented from a friend in Auckland. His money supposedly came from his German pension.

Ahrens claimed to have come to New Zealand from Australia where he had worked for 20 years. It was a lie, Rush said.

His German passport showed he came from the Philippines.

"He didn't really say why he came here. He claimed he had some investments in the North Island."

He was asked about the Fox Glacier incident that led to the assault charge. Ahrens had been living in a flat in the town at the time.

"He declined to comment about it."

His relaxed manner after the arrest was strange, Rush said.

"I found it quite odd," he said. "If I was arrested and knew I didn't do it, I would be kicking and crying blue murder."

Until his arrest Ahrens got about in a 1980s Mercedes with his kayak on the roof. He got a New Zealand driver's licence in 2000 and had never had a parking ticket or a speeding ticket and had never come to police attention – other than at Fox Glacier.

Ahrens had said there would be no family or friends waiting for him on his return to Germany, though Rush said it was difficult to know if that was the truth.

Certainly in New Zealand he seemed to be a loner, Rush said.

On the journey to the Timaru police station, Ahrens recalled parts of the district he had stayed in, areas such as Hanging Rock.

He had a sound knowledge of South Island geography, especially Department of Conservation land, and claimed to have been visiting Aoraki/Mt Cook for about 15 years.

When police finally caught up with him, Ahrens had been using a different name, apparently because he got tired of being asked how to pronounce his surname.

Tekapo police senior constable Brent Swanson said that Ahrens' car was his downfall.

"It's the third year now his vehicle has come to our attention and each time he slips off the radar and disappears."

Swanson said it was "pretty good work" by the public that led to Ahrens' arrest.

"The only thing that was his downfall is he kept the same car, an old Mercedes. If he had been driving some old nana's car no-one would have noticed."

A witness, who declined to be named, said police had previously asked people in the national park to keep a look out for an elderly man in an old Mercedes Benz.

On Thursday morning he was seen paddling on the Tasman Lake.

"The kayak he was in was pretty old, it was pretty ancient gear."

While Ahrens will be gone today, Interpol and other agencies will continue to investigate his 20-year expedition, Rush said.

(Source The Press)

05/01/11 - Deported Kiwi family enjoys life back in NZ

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A kiwi family kicked out of Morocco after being accused of teaching Christianity to Muslim children is settling back into life in New Zealand.

Chris and Tina Broadbent, and their children, William, now 3, and Samuel, now 2, were forced out of Morocco in March.

The couple had just found out Mrs Broadbent was pregnant again, and a third son Benjamin is now two months old.

The pair had been working in the Village of Hope, a children's home in the Middle Atlas mountains of Morocco, for 18 months.

The Broadbents were expelled from the country, along with about 20 other foreign workers, after Christian materials were allegedly found in the foster homes where 33 children lived.

In 2002, the Village of Hope registered with the Moroccan Government as an official Christian organisation and received permission to talk about Christianity to the children in their care.

But in March they were given only 90 minutes to pack all their possessions into their car, before being escorted by armed guards to the Moroccan border.

Once they reached Spain, they stayed there for three months helping with legal efforts to try to get the orphans reunited with the evicted foster parents before returning to New Zealand and settling back into life in Auckland.

Mr Broadbent said although they would not be returning to Morocco, they continued to take an interest in and to support their former colleagues, who were using the courts and humanitarian channels to try to regain access to the country, and the children left behind.

Despite the bad end, the village had given the children a great opportunity.

"What would have happened to those children if they hadn't had this opportunity? You've got to remind yourself of why you were there."

They tried not to dwell on their deportation, which had left their children shaken, and were enjoying being back in New Zealand, Mr Broadbent said. He is now working as an employment relations consultant.

Their time in Morocco had given them an appreciation for what they had, and an ability to look at tough situations calmly, he said.

(Source The Press)

05/01/11 - Mexico plans immigration shake-up

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01/01/11 - German man caught after 20-year overstay

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An elderly German man who's been on the run for 20 years has been caught at Mount Cook.

Police told the Timaru Herald the 72-year-old overstayer - wanted for an historic assault - was found on Thursday at the Aoraki National Park, following a tip-off.

He was just about to set off for a paddle in a kayak.

Police have received various sightings of the man in the Mackenzie Country over the past three years, but they're unsure how he's managed to support himself.

It's reported he appeared in the Timaru District Court yesterday on an assault charge and will be transferred to Christchurch today.

(Source RadioLIVE)

30/12/10 - 2010: Important Immigration events during the year

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2010 has been a rocky year for immigration around the world. Aftershocks from the global financial crisis of 2008 can still be felt as evidenced by many countries responding to the economic downturn by bringing in more restrictive immigration policies.

However, there is evidence that as the economies of many countries improve and unemployment rates fall, skilled immigration will once again play a key role in filling labour gaps.

United Kingdom

One of the biggest stories this year is the UK Government's interim immigration cap that was put into force in June. The temporary cap, designed to prevent a surge in applications ahead of a planned permanent cap to be introduced in April 2011, was pushed through without any Parliamentary vote. Since this summer, a monthly cap of 600 applications for Tier 1 General has been in place, with the quota being reached very early in each month. There has been much criticism of the cap, mainly from the business sector, immigrant groups, and from within the Government itself.

A legal challenge was lodged with the UK High Court by the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants and the English Community Care Association. The UK High Court found that the interim immigration cap was unlawful because the Home Secretary did not put the measure to a vote before Parliament. However, the UK Government quickly put through a Statement of Changes that apparently means that the interim immigration limit is now lawful. It's possible that a future legal challenge will mean that the interim limit is again considered to be unlawful.

Of more concern is the announcement of the permanent cap to be introduced in April of 2011. This cap will limit the number of highly skilled visas from 13,000 per year to 1,000 per year and introduce a new 'exceptional talent' visa which will replace the Tier 1 (General) visa. It is certain that immigrating to the UK under the highly skilled immigration route will be become much more difficult -- if not impossible -- for most people.

In addition to the changes to Tier 1, Tier 2 visas will also become more difficult to obtain. Starting in April 2011, Tier 2 general visas will require applicants to have a degree-level qualification. In addition, while Intra-company transfers under the Tier 2 regime will not be subject to any caps, applicants must earn more that GBP 40,000 per year if they wish to stay in the UK for longer than 12 months.

Stricter requirements for permanent residence, otherwise known as Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) were also announced in 2010. The Home Secretary said that she wishes to cut the ties between temporary immigration and permanent settlement. As a result, it is possible many people will no longer be eligible to apply for ILR in the future. One bit of good news is that the plan by the previous Government to create a category of "probationary citizenship" instead of indefinite leave to remain has been axed.

The UK has also significantly raised immigration fees.

The United Kingdom is not the only country that is tightening the reigns on immigration. Canada has reduced the number of jobs in its in-demand occupation list; Most skilled worker applicants will more than likely require a job offer. On the bright side, Canada has devoted resources to reducing a large backlog in applications which have historically resulted in multi-year waiting times for applicants.

Australia

Like Canada, Australia also announced a reduction in jobs on their Skilled Occupation List (SOL); as before applicants for permanent residence under the General Skilled Migration (GSM) programme must have relevant experience in the particular skilled occupation. This year Australia also announced changes to the GSM to take effect next summer which will make it more difficult for tradespeople and people in other occupations to score enough points under Australia's GSM points based system.

Australia has also been responding to criticism of changes to its immigration system from the business and education sectors. Australia will make student immigration and temporary business immigration easier. This will further help Australia's economy which is now experiencing an upturn.

In line with Canada and Australia, New Zealand announced a reduction on the LTSSL and ISSL lists while, and this is not entirely new, applicants must have relevant experience to their job position and a relevant educational background. English language skills are still a requirement, at 6.5IELTS.

The Silver Fern policies were rolled out and according to INZ with huge success. These policies have been put in place to attract highly skilled young people to New Zealand, and matching these workers to the needs of the economy by providing a pathway for these workers to remain in New Zealand upon gaining skilled employment.

Also the Parent Retirement Category was rolled out, consisting out of a Temporary Retirement and Parent Retirement stream. It allows Immigration New Zealand to prioritise high net worth individuals who are already seeking to migrate to New Zealand under the Family Category. The Temporary Retirement Category creates a two year visa for people who want to spend some of their retirement in New Zealand, provided they invest here and indemnify the government against possible health and welfare costs. Parent Retirement visa holders will be required to invest a minimum of $1 million in New Zealand over four years, whereas Temporary Retirees will need to invest $750,000 over the two year term of their permit. Temporary Retirees will be able to renew their permits as long as they continue to meet criteria including investment funds, income and health insurance.

According to INZ sources, the Long Term Business Visa, aka LTBV, appears to increase in popularity. This type of application puts the onus on the applicant to prove that his to be established business is a benefit to New Zealand within the three year time frame.

Immigration fees have also changed at the same time with the introduction of the new Immigration Act 2009.

Licencing of advisors based IN New Zealand was already a fact, but this year ALL advisors, locally AND overseas must be licenced unless exempt. Applications lodged through an un-licenced advisor are returned to the applicant.

The new Immigration Act 2009 came into effect on 29 November 2010. This in particular has some ramifications for employers and sponsors. Please refer to the Act

There was a time when H-1B visas were snatched up on the first day that they became available for a particular fiscal year. This year is certainly in keeping with the times; thousands of H-1B visas were still available many months after the gates were open, showing that employers are simply not hiring highly skilled workers in large numbers in the US.

The global financial crisis of 2008 took an enormous toll on economies world-wide which resulted in many Countries bringing in more restrictive immigration policies.

Governments around the world are concentrating more on employment-based immigration to deal with gaps in the labor market. It is increasingly the case that the employer or both the employer and employee need to apply for the visa, or that the employer has an increased responsibility to the immigration service.

In addition, some other countries are providing residency when successful applicants import investment funds.

Over the last few years economies around the world have been recovering. This is particularly true for countries such as Australia. As markets recover and demand for skilled workers increase, this will lead to increases in levels of immigration.

02/12/10 - New Zealand Pauses to Remember 29 Miners Killed in Pike River Explosion

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New Zealand paused for a two-minute silence today to remember the 29 Pike River miners presumed killed by explosions at a West Coast mine last month.

Prime Minister John Key asked the country to observe a moment of silence at 2 p.m. local time which marked the start of a remembrance service near Greymouth, the South Island town about 50 kilometers (30 miles) south of Pike River.

The service was held at the Omoto Racecourse which opened in 1867, almost 20 years after coal was first discovered in the area.

Pike River Coal Ltd., the mine’s owner, is yet to determine what caused an explosion on Nov. 19 that cut off communication with the workers underground.

Police declared them to be dead five days later after a second explosion ended all hopes of a rescue.

Rescuers are now trying to douse a coal fire caused by a fourth blast that’s prevented recovery of the miners’ bodies. They ranged in age from 17 to 62.

“Your men were our men,” Key said at the service.

“And even if many of us know them only as names, and faces and stories, their deaths touched our lives.”

Messages of support from around the world were read by Anand Satyanand, New Zealand’s Governor-General.

They included notes from Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II and Prince William and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

The service was attended by government officials from New Zealand and outside the country, including Martin Ferguson, Australia’s minister of resources and energy, and British High Commissioner Victoria Treadell, according to a statement.

Mine Investigation Key said on Nov. 29 that a Royal Commission will probe the causes of the Pike River blasts.

A separate enquiry will conduct a safety audit of New Zealand’s underground coal mines.

While the mines will stay open during the audit, Pike River is likely to stay closed for some time, he said.

“What happened at Pike River has become a fresh, new, raw part of the story of New Zealand,” Key said at the service.

Rescuers deployed a jet engine at around 10 p.m. yesterday in an attempt to extinguish the Pike River fire, according to a police statement today. The operation will continue until air sampling indicates the mine is inert, the statement said.

“We have a long way to go before the environment will be safe enough to send a recovery team into the mine,” Superintendent Gary Knowles said in the statement.

(Source Bloomberg)

19/11/10 - Air quality a concern after mine explosion

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Rescuers are concerned about air quality at the site of today's Pike River coal mine explosion on the west coast of the South Island, which is believed to have trapped 27 people.

Police said there was a concern that ventilation inside the mine shaft may be affected. The mine's main ventilation shaft, 110m deep, partially collapsed in February 2009.

Air quality testing is being carried out because of the unknown atmospheric conditions underground.

Police said the two miners who walked to the surface earlier this evening were being treated for moderate injuries at Grey Hospital. Both men, whose ages and names are not available, are both "walking and talking".

Specialist mine rescue teams and emergency services remain at the scene, 50km north east of Greymouth.

Superintendent Gary Knowles, the Tasman Police District Commander, is travelling from his Nelson Headquarters to oversee the police response.

Police, including Search and Rescue specialists, are also gathering in Greymouth and at the scene which is cordoned off to the public.

"We appreciate this is a very uncertain and worrying time for families and friends of the miners and contractors who are at the mine. We are working closely with mine officials and other emergency services to do everything we can to help with the rescue operation," Superintendent Knowles said.

A welfare centre has been set up for the families of miners trapped by the underground explosion.

Police said the centre, at the Red Cross Hall in Greymouth, is a warm and dry gathering point for family members as they anxiously await news from the mine site.

Red Cross and Victim Support volunteers are at the centre providing comfort and refreshments.

Families are encouraged to use the welfare centre instead of trying to reach the mine's access road which is closed to all but those involved in the rescue and recovery operation.

At least 27 miners are still unaccounted for - 15 mine employees and 12 contractors.

.The miners appeared to have been trapped following an explosion at the isolated underground mine, 50km northeast of Greymouth, this afternoon.

An electrician went into the mine to investigate a power outage about 3.50pm. He discovered a loader driver who had been blown off his machine, about 1500m inside the mine shaft, police spokeswoman Barbara Dunn said.

The mine entrance is about 2.2km long, and then branches out into other areas.

Thirty-six tags belonging to miners were still hanging on the board at the entrance to the mine.

One of the pair to emerge was the loader driver, and they indicated three more workers were on their way out although there was no sign of them by 8pm.

The two men were flown by rescue helicopter to Grey Base Hospital with moderate injuries.

The mine rescue team was trying to make sure the vents were clear as there was a potential for a buildup of gas. Until that happened, it was unsafe for rescuers to enter the mine, she said.

There was also a concern that ventilation inside the mine shaft may not be working properly without power.

"They're itching to get in there and start looking for other people and a bit frustrated at having to stand and wait,'' Ms Dunn said.

The mine started shift early in the afternoon and lost communication about 3.45pm, Pike River chief executive Peter Whittal told Campbell Live.

The mine was alerted at 4.10pm that something was wrong.

The missing miners could be trapped or choosing to shelter underground, he said. He could not confirm a report that one person was dead.

"I personally know every employee of the company ... I know what the shift is and who men generally the men are on that shift, and I'm still waiting to get a full list of the employees involved,'' he said.

New Zealand mining expert Dave Feikert said while it was unknown at this stage what had caused the blast, if methane gas had mixed with coal dust the explosion would have been very big.

"The biggest single problem is to find out where the guys are, and the communications systems always go down,'' he said.

"We're all trying to develop a communications system that would survive an explosion of this nature.'' People who were right in the mine in the production areas would be at the greatest risk. If people were trapped underground, the mines rescue teams would probably ask for help from Australia.

"In the New Zealand mining industry, the miners are very well trained in all this but it doesn't mean they can't be caught out by a combination of circumstances,'' Mr Feikert said.

New Zealand's largest coal miner, state-owned Solid Energy, said Pike River had requested first aid equipment.

The gear would come from the company's underground Spring Creek mine in the hills behind Dunollie, north of Greymouth. Solid Energy also had workers involved with Mines Rescue.

A Department of Labour mines inspector based on the West Coast was at the mine to provide assistance and advice, and Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee was also heading to the mine.

Ikamatua panelbeater John Batten said everyone in the town - about 15km from the mine - was very concerned.

"Everybody's hoping for the best and it's not looking good at present. It's an absolute major. We're just waiting,'' he said.

"It's catastrophic.''

Some people from the town worked at the mine but not underground. The Ikamatua volunteer fire brigade was among the emergency services at the mine.

"We all know everybody,'' Mr Batten said.

(Source Otago Daily Times)

28/12/10 - Immigration increases Canada's population

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A dramatic boost in Canada's population was driven mostly by immigration, according to recent figures released by Statistics Canada.

The increase was the largest in 40 years; As of 1 October 2010 the total Canadian population was 34.2 million. During the third quarter of 2010, 65 percent of the 129,300 increase in Canada's population was due to immigration

Almost all provinces and territories saw an increase in population due to immigration. The exception to this was Alberta; 60 percent of Alberta's growth was due to "natural increases".

Canada is expected to welcome 240,000 to 265,000 new migrants during the last quarter of 2010. Many will come through skilled immigration routes.

Like Australia and the United Kingdom, Canada depends heavily on skilled immigration to fill gaps in its labour force. People can immigrate to Canada independently based on their skills, or through employer or state sponsored immigration.

To help with the surge in immigration, Canada is helping provinces and territories by providing funding to help migrants settle into their new homes.

The federal government has increased settlement funding from CAD $200 million in 2005-06 to $651 million in 2010-11 to help the increasing numbers of immigrants settle in.

(Source Statistics Canada)

22/12/10 - Net inflow of migrants to ease, says economist

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The net inflow of migrants held up last month, albeit at below-par levels.

There was a net gain of 1400 permanent and long-term migrants - or 600 when adjusted for seasonal effects - the same as in October, Statistics New Zealand said.

In the year ended November, there was a net gain of 11,500 migrants, which is in line with the average 11,900 annual gain of the past 20 years.

"Over the past year, the annual inflow of net migration has been slowing as the number of departures has been rising, largely due to an increase in departures to Australia," ASB economist Jane Turner said.

"With Australian employment growth continuing to outperform labour market conditions in New Zealand, we expect departures will continue to lift. This will see the current pace of annual inflow ease from around 12,000 per annum in recent months to around 5000 to 6000."

Slowing net migration was contributing to weak demand for new housing and weak retail spending growth, Turner said.

"We expect that net migration will remain subdued for the time being and remain a key factor in household sector being less of a driver of growth in the current economic recovery."

Goldman Sachs economist Philip Borkin said that while the current level of net migration was helping to provide a floor under the housing market and domestic demand, it was not at a rate to trigger meaningful house price increases. "Nevertheless, it is something we are watching closely. As the experience over the middle of this year [when immigration dropped steeply] attests, net migration flows can turn relatively sharply."

Permanent and long-term migrants are defined, on the arrivals side, as overseas migrants who intend to stay in New Zealand for at least a year plus New Zealanders returning after an absence of at least a year; and on the departures side, New Zealand residents leaving for at least a year plus overseas visitors departing after a stay of a year or more.

In the year to November, the highest net inflow was from India (6300), outstripping the United Kingdom (4500).

The largest net loss of people was to Australia - 20,100 - up from 19,500 the year before but still well down on the 35,000 net outflow in the year to November 2008.

(Source Brian Fallow, NZ Herald)