It is a foolish man that declares the war won when a battle has just gone his way.  Those of you who are regular readers of the blog (and I understand there are a few of you, much to my surprise) will have been following my representations to the chain of command inside INZ over how applicants from North and South Asia are being processed under the Skilled Migrant Category through the Shangha... [More]

Recent media reports of skilled migrants coming to New Zealand on Work to Residence Visas, failing to obtain skilled employment, being ‘forced’ to return home having had their residence cases declined, has drawn calls for this policy to be dropped.   The Skilled Migrant Policy seeks to identify those who are more likely to settle well and contribute to the New Zealand econo... [More]

The New Zealand Government released its long awaited business investor policy today. The notable changes are: No more global investor policy requiring NZ$20 million invested – investment amounts are now $10m or $1.5million Recognition that English language is not as important to the outcomes the Government seeks than under previous policy Simplification of where the money must be i... [More]

Does the New Zealand Immigration Advisers Authority have any teeth? The IAA has its first real test of its powers and commitment to 'protecting vulnerable migrants' on its hands but I strongly suspect it would prefer something less complex and politically explosive. Two weeks ago local Maori man Gerard Otimi was charged with fraud and deception offences by police in connection to what ... [More]

If your service organisation was found to have made incorrect or poor decisions between 20% and 40% of the time how worried would you be? In his recent report into the New Zealand Immigration Department that is just what the Auditor General found. [More]

In recent weeks the NZ Herald has run a number of stories bringing to the public's attention the plight of pregnant women who are being told they cannot get new temporary permits e.g. visitor/student or work because they are pregnant. Read the take of a Licensed New Zealand Immigration Consultant [More]

Pass marks are falling. We predicted earlier this year that pass marks for applicants under the Skilled Migrant Category would fall as demand continued to soften. We have it on good authority that the New Zealand Government will struggle to meet its annual migrant target (of around 47,000 people). This, coupled with the fact that it is getting more difficult for some New Zealand migrants to find ... [More]

You have to love it. From 4 May Immigration New Zealand (INZ) can only deal with licensed immigration advisers and there are on the planet only around 168 of us. Traditionally our immigration support staff have always been able to call up INZ and get information for us about the status of an application or to hurry it along. This is of course standard practice within law firms and similar. My PA... [More]

From May 4 all those consultants normally based in New Zealand who provide advice on immigration to New Zealand (unless they are exempt) must have a license. This legislation was passed after years of work by the Government who had decreed that 'vulnerable' migrants needed protection from the incompetent and the unethical. My view is that the standards that are applied to the private sector should also apply to the state. [More]

It is time that the New Zealand Government abandon its “business as usual” policy with regards to skilled migrant immigration criteria and makes changes to the Skilled Migrant Category to reflect the current economic times. [More]