02/10/08 - Changes to temporary entry health policy requirements for applicants intending to give birth in NZ

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Thursday, 2 October 2008

From 3 October 2008, temporary entry health policy will include a specific health waiver for certain applicants who intend to give birth in New Zealand.

24/09/08 - Change of receiving office in Brazil

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Wednesday, 24 September 2008

From 1 October 2008 the Consulate General in Sao Paulo will no longer accept temporary entry applications for Immigration New Zealand. The New Zealand embassy in Brasilia will be processing these applications instead.

23/09/08 - Policies arising from New Zealand-China Free Trade Agreement

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Tuesday, 23 September 2008

On 1 October 2008, the New Zealand-China Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will enter into force. Several immigration policies were agreed to as part of the negotiations:

* China Skilled Workers Policy
* China Special Work Policy
* China Working Holiday Scheme, and
* Group Transit Visa for Chinese nationals.

For more information about these policies please contact Terra Nova Consultancy or visit the INZ website

12/09/08 - Study shows NZ degrees fail to deliver riches

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11 September 2008

An OECD study has found New Zealand university students pay a larger than average share of their study costs and get less return on their investment during their careers.

The Education at a Glance report showed a tertiary qualification had little bearing on employment prospects in New Zealand, The Dominion Post reported.

Those who gained a diploma or higher qualification were rewarded with just a "relatively slim" salary boost of between 15 and 25 percent over those who went no further than college.

In other countries the difference was much greater -- Hungarian degree holders earned about twice as much as their degree-less counterparts -- and the gap was widening.

Back in New Zealand the study found that even when it came time to apply for a job there was little advantage to be gained as Kiwis showed the lowest variation in employment rates between those with and without degrees.

The Education Ministry said the trend was not due to low-quality tertiary education. Rather it was because of the country's record-low unemployment rate.

Victoria University vice-chancellor Pat Walsh said tertiary education opened the door to a wider range of opportunities and graduates' incomes grew throughout their careers while others plateaued.

On a positive note, New Zealand had a high proportion of graduates with 38 percent versus the OECD average of 27 percent.

OECD secretary general Angel Gurria said the challenge for many countries was coping with increased demand while also increasing the quality of institutions.

"That will require not just increased resources but changes in the way money is spent."

The report said individual countries were reacting in different ways. Nordic countries accepted high public spending on education as an investment "that pays dividends to both individuals and society".

Others -- including New Zealand, Australia, Britain, USA, Canada, Korea and Japan -- had expanded university populations by making students pay a larger share of the costs.

(Source AP NZ Herald)

09/09/08 - NZ still one of the world’s best places for business

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Wednesday 9 Sep 2008

Minister for Small Business Clayton Cosgrove welcomed today’s release of the World Bank’s Doing Business 2009 survey showing that New Zealand has retained its second place ranking for ease of doing business.

Mr Cosgrove said New Zealand’s regulatory environment has consistently ranked either No 1 or No 2 by the World Bank since the survey began. He said for New Zealand to retain its second-place spot in the face of an increasingly competitive global business environment is a fantastic result.

“This survey recognises the government’s ongoing drive to improve the regulatory environment,” Mr Cosgrove said. “We have worked hard to minimise the amount of time business people spend on paperwork so they can focus on their businesses. Today’s number two ranking is an endorsement that our approach is working, and that this country is one of the most business friendly in the world.”

The World Bank’s Doing Business survey is an annual cross-economy study that measures government regulations and their effect on business across 178 economies.  The Survey uses 10 key indicators to measure and compare ease or difficulty of operating a business.  Economies receive a ranking for each key indicator; and an overall ‘Ease of Doing Business’ ranking.

Mr Cosgrove said a highlight from today’s announcement is New Zealand’s jump from third to first place for the Starting A Business Indicator. “The average number of days to start a business in the OECD is 13.4 days while in New Zealand it takes approximately one hour. This is thanks to the cooperation between the Companies Office and Inland Revenue which means new businesses can be given their GST number at the same time as incorporating their company online - a major time saver for small businesses.”

“It is also worth noting that comparative to our Australian neighbours, businesses here pay a lot less in tax as a percentage of their profits. In Australia the total tax rate as a percentage of profits is 50.3% whereas in New Zealand businesses pay 35.6%. This is also below the OECD average of 45.3%.”

Mr Cosgrove said the government recognises it must continue its programme of improvements to retain New Zealand’s internationally competitive business environment.

“Recent initiatives such as changes to the tax regime announced in Budget 2008 will have a positive effect on future survey results,” Mr Cosgrove said. “The Standard Business Reporting project we are currently developing will revolutionise government and business interactions, by allowing businesses to file information only once with government, in one place, therefore reducing the compliance burden and saving time.”

Mr Cosgrove said today's findings by the World Bank is one of several independent studies showing ongoing improvement for New Zealand's business environment. These include the latest Business New Zealand-KPMG Compliance Cost Survey of business people that shows compliance costs have fallen by a third since 2005 for firms employing five or fewer staff.

(Source Clayton Cosgrove - beehive.govt.nz)

09/09/08 - House building hits rock bottom

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Tuesday, 09 September 2008

The slump in the amount of work in the building market has hit rock bottom, says Waikato builder Peter Santner.

The volume of residential construction nationally fell for three consecutive quarters to June, sinking a seasonally adjusted 15.3 per cent for the period, according to Statistics New Zealand figures just out.

Mr Santner, of Cambridge Homes, thought the sector was at it's lowest ebb, and would continue there for a bit longer before picking up. "I think we are all feeling the slowing economic climate that's upon us."

The seasonally adjusted value of residential building work fell 7.3 per cent in the June 2008 quarter, on the previous quarter and non-residential work fell 3.6 per cent. The figures do not give a regional breakdown, but the builders believed it was reflective of the Waikato.

The unadjusted value of residential building work for the year to June was $8.42 billion, up 5.6 per cent on the previous year.

John MacDonald, of John MacDonald Builders and president of Waikato Master Builders, said Waikato was due a slow down on the back of a real high. However, he said the slowdown in the building of new homes had been offset by a demand in alterations.

"Most people I'm talking to are quite positive. I haven't heard of any Master Builders that are really struggling and laying off heaps and heaps of staff."

The higher-end of the market remained buoyant due to the strong farming sector in the Waikato. Non-residential work also declined for two consecutive quarters. The seasonally adjusted volume of all building work fell 5.8 per cent in the June quarter, following a 6.5 per cent fall in the March quarter.

For the year ended June, the unadjusted value of all building work was $13.49 billion.

ASB economist Jane Turner said the data was weaker than expected. High interest rates, slowing net immigration and increased unemployment had slowed demand for housing.

Economist Robin Clements said even if the falling number of residential building consents bottomed out, residential building could fall further in the second half of the year.

(Source Waikato Times, by Nikki Preston)

09/09/08 - Keep talking or face terrible future, religion summit told

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Tuesday September 09, 2008

Inter-religious talks may seem superficial, but it is vital for believers of different religions to keep talking - or the consequences could be dire, an inter-religious relations expert warned.

Paul Weller, a professor of inter-religious relations at the University of Derby in Britain, is in New Zealand to speak on challenges facing multifaith societies at a two-day conference that started yesterday at the University of Auckland.

"New Zealand may have once been called a Christian country, but like most societies, with immigration and globalisation, it is now a society with many religions. The change is inevitable, but the challenge is, how do we face this change?"

Yesterday, Professor Weller spoke about the implications for believers of this change, and said that instead of "retreating from the world and taking refuge in simplistic and dangerous forms of religious communalism", they should "develop ways of thinking and acting that are characterised by modesty, integrity, realism and distinctiveness".

New Zealand has a religious diversity statement which declared that the country "has no official or established religion" - which some Christian groups, like the Destiny Church, have described as "treasonous" because the British monarchy and the Maori King Movement are both committed to Christianity.

But Professor Weller, a former Baptist minister, said people who thought there was no room in society for any religion except their own were "lacking in confidence in their own faith", and described their line of thinking as "dangerous".

"The shock of September 11 followed by the Madrid and London bombings, the rise of the Taleban and invasion of Afghanistan ... these bloody episodes have at least dimensions relating to religion and culture," he said.

"There is no quick fix for a way forward in religious diversity. It is vital that we keep engaging with those with different beliefs, because if we don't, the alternatives will be just too terrible."

Today, Professor Weller will be using the example of the University of Derby's Multi-Faith Centre, of which he is vice-chairman, to show how it is possible for universities to promote religious diversity and how public institutions could be inclusive of the role of religions.

(Source NZ Herald, by Lincoln Tan)

05/09/08 - Stem the exodus and bring Kiwis home, Nats says

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Thursday, 04 September 2008

The National Party has released an immigration policy it says is designed to stem the exodus of Kiwis and persuade more of them to come home.

Immigration spokesman Lockwood Smith said New Zealand had lost more than 80,000 people overseas permanently during the past 12 months and figures had been steadily worsening.

"Creating the opportunities here in New Zealand to stem that debilitating loss will be a priority for the next National government," he said.

"Those opportunities must also attract back to New Zealand those Kiwis who have been developing their skills abroad, as well as other skilled people."

Dr Smith said creating the right conditions to encourage New Zealanders to come home was paramount.

National would ensure that tax, regulatory and infrastructure policies made returning home an attractive prospect for highly skilled expatriates.

The Immigration Service would initiate a one-stop-shop approach to servicing the needs of returning New Zealanders.

National would also:

- Streamline employer accreditation policies to recruit overseas;

- Reduce bureaucratic barriers to hiring seasonal workers from countries outside the existing scheme;

- Introduce a Silver Fern Visa to enable people with recognised tertiary qualifications to be in New Zealand for a short time to seek permanent employment in highly skilled areas which were of high value to the country; and

- Set realistic investment capital and English language requirements for business immigrants.

"National will establish a world-class immigration service," Dr smith said.

"We all know that confidence in Immigration New Zealand has reached an all-time low.

"Countless scandals have seriously damaged the reputation of the service. This has now become endemic within Immigration New Zealand and the time to address this is long overdue."

Immigration Minister Clayton Cosgrove said the policy was vague, illogical and showed National was out of touch after nine years on the opposition benches.

He said the party was offering "chequebook immigration" which would allow people with enough money to buy residency without the current checks and balances.

"National has been here before with disastrous results. Just ask any doctor that came here and ended up driving a taxi during the 1990s," he said.

"This policy is all over the place. Lockwood Smith has put a series of flip-flops within one policy document."

Mr Cosgrove said the one-stop-shop for returning Kiwis was a bizarre plan, because citizens coming home were not immigrants and were not dealt with by immigration authorities.

The Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU) said the policy gave priority to filling skills gaps from overseas rather than investing in local people.

"The use of immigrant labour to fill skills gaps has always been seen as a short term measure and not a substitute for developing talent locally," said EPMU national secretary Andrew Little.

"We've already seen employers in some sectors try to import labour rather than pay decent rates and we have been able to use the current procedures to stop it."

Mr Little said loosening the rules around employer accreditation would only hurt immigrant workers and their local workmates.

(Source NZPA)

05/09/08 - National's plans for business investors 'chequebook immigration'

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Friday September 05, 2008

National's plans to allow wealthy foreigners to retire to New Zealand and to loosen the rules for business investors is "chequebook immigration", says Immigration Minister Clayton Cosgrove.

The party's new immigration policy includes a retirement visa, available for wealthy overseas retirees who can foot their own bills rather than rely on the taxpayer.

It is aimed at "high net worth" people, who would have to agree to indemnify New Zealand against any health, welfare and superannuation costs.

National's immigration spokesman Lockwood Smith said it was a "win-win" policy because it would attract more spending without any burden on taxpayers.

But Mr Cosgrove said Dr Smith had rejected the same idea as associate immigration minister in 1999, because of difficulties it would create around access to public healthcare and problems for hospitals in recouping money owed to them.

National also proposes a "silver fern" visa, which will allow people with tertiary qualifications recognised in New Zealand to enter for a period of time to job-hunt. Those who gained a permanent job that exceeded a certain salary threshold - yet to be set - would be given a 24-month visa and put on fast track to residency.

Dr Smith said changes were also needed to rules under which investors could live here, indicating National would lower the English language requirements and change rules on how investment money must be used.

NATIONAL'S PLANS
* A Retirement Visa for wealthy overseas retirees who would not qualify for taxpayer funded services, such as health, superannuation or social welfare.
* A Silver Fern visa to allow tertiary-educated migrants to enter to look for work and gain a 24-month visa if they earn over a certain amount.
* Change investment and English language requirements for business investors to attract more.
* Less red tape for expatriate New Zealanders who want to return with their families.
* A review of the Immigration Service, and possibly set it up as a stand-alone department if this can be done without increasing the number of bureaucrats.

(Source NZ Herald, by Claire Trevett)

04/09/08 - Immigration policy: Bring more Kiwis home

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04 September 2008

By Dr Hon Lockwood Smith, National Party Immigration

National's immigration policy aims to stem the exodus of Kiwis and bring more home, as well as to create a climate that encourages skilled immigrants to our shores, says National's Immigration spokesman, Lockwood Smith.

"New Zealand has tragically lost more than 80,000 people overseas permanently in the past 12 months. That is more than 1,500 people each week. The numbers departing have been steadily worsening. Departing Kiwis are replaced by new immigrants, which makes immigration policy critically important to New Zealand's future.

"Creating the opportunities here in New Zealand to stem that debilitating loss will be a priority for the next National Government. Those opportunities must also attract back to New Zealand those Kiwis who have been developing their skills abroad, as well as other skilled people."

Dr Smith says National's immigration policy has three overriding objectives:

• To attract more overseas Kiwis back to their home country.
• To better match the skills of immigrants with the employment needs of our economy.
• To make our immigration services world class in their efficiency and effectiveness, and restore confidence in the integrity of Immigration New Zealand.

Dr Smith says creating the right conditions to encourage New Zealanders to come home is paramount.

"We will ensure that tax, regulatory, and infrastructure policies make returning home an attractive prospect for highly skilled ex-pat Kiwis. We will also require Immigration New Zealand to initiate a one-stop-shop approach to servicing the needs of returning New Zealanders. "

National will also:

• Streamline employer accreditation policies to recruit overseas.
• Reduce the bureaucratic barriers to being able to hire seasonal workers from countries outside the existing RSE scheme, where the RSE scheme is unable to meet employers' needs.
• Introduce a Silver Fern Visa to enable people with recognised tertiary qualifications to be in New Zealand for a short period of time to seek permanent employment in highly skilled areas which are of high value to the New Zealand economy. Silver Fern Visa holders may undertake temporary work while seeking highly paid permanent employment.
• Set realistic investment capital and English language requirements for business immigrants.
• Establish a Retirement Visa for high net-worth people wishing to live in New Zealand at no cost to the taxpayer.

"National will establish a world-class immigration service. We all know that confidence in Immigration New Zealand has reached an all-time low. Countless scandals have seriously damaged the reputation of the service. This has now become endemic within Immigration New Zealand, and the time to address this is long overdue."

National will:

• Review Immigration New Zealand to ensure there are clear lines of accountability.
• Ensure there is fairness and transparency in every aspect of Immigration New Zealand's processes.
• Explore the possibility of establishing a stand-alone Department of Immigration and Citizenship, combining existing resources and functions currently within Immigration New Zealand and the Department of Internal Affairs. This outcome would be acceptable only if we could be assured it could occur within existing resources and would not lead to a rise in the number of bureaucrats.

"National wants to assure potential immigrants, along with all New Zealanders and Kiwi employers, that they will be given an efficient, world-class immigration service that acts with integrity and produces the best outcomes for the widest interests of New Zealand.

"In addition, we will implement the most attractive policies to maximise the number of Kiwis worldwide who want to, again, make New Zealand their home."