December 2013

Immigration have done it again; without any prior warning they closed the LTBV category! Possible candidates to start and operate a business have been told to wait till March 2014 when a new policy will be made public! Between "Sorry, we are closed for business" and "Welcome to New Zealand" those possible candidates may have found another destination!

The first reaction from the market is that people are really peefed-off, and I suggest that Immigration could have handled this closure of the LTBV and the opening of a new category much better and thus retain possible good business people for New Zealand.

Wishing you all a great Christmas and a happy New Year!

Thanks for your support and trust in me and my team this last year, I really appreciate that, it's more worth than any amount of money!!!

November 2013

Last week a detailed report was released where New Zealand is ranked No 5 in the world in Prosperity.

Some of the top findings are;

• This year, the US has moved down four places to 24th in the Economy sub-index. Countries that have overtaken the US in the Economy sub-index include New Zealand (17th) and South Korea (19th), among others.
• The top ten countries include Sweden (1st), Denmark (2nd), Finland (3rd), Switzerland (4th), Luxembourg (5th), Norway (6th), Iceland (7th), Netherlands (8th), and United Kingdom (9th). Hong Kong makes up the top 10, placing 10th in the sub-index.
• The UK has moved down three places to 16th in overall Prosperity, as a result of decreases in the rankings for six out eight sub-indices since last year. The UK has been leapfrogged by Austria (15th), Germany (14th), and Iceland (13th).

Please follow this link for more details

October 2013

Looking at my diary on my computer, I suddenly realise that it is already October 2013, nearly Christmas! Time really flies when you are having fun!

The months of August and September have both been poor months from a personal prespective. My mother passed away in Holland early August, and i had my second operation (first one in April this year) in the latter part of September, and I am scheduled for a third operation in November this year. Luckily, no serious ones, just small one-hour operations.

The year 2013 does honor to its number, a ANNUS HORRIBILIS, a Latin expression to describe this "horrible year"!

Despite the difficult times, we have had some great results and excellent decisions coming through, thanks to you and the team!

See you next time ...

 

February 2013

Highlights this month are;

• NZ to take asylum seekers from Australia
• Lockwood Smith delivers final speech to Parliament
• Prosser comments about Muslims
• Mainzeal's collapse
• A Living Wage of $18.40 discussion
• NZ suffers more departures than arrivals
• Sir Paul Holmes passed away

 

More to follow soon ...

January 2013

Some highlights this months are;

• Employers struggle for Christchurch staff
• Property values climb 5.7%
• Australia burns
• Len Brown ranked no 7 Mayor in the world
• Brian Nelsen appointed head coach Toronto
• Hobbit job numbers (3,000?)
• Dutch Queen to abdicate
• Boeing's 787 grounded
• Heavy snow in Europe
• Oprah's interview with Lance Armstrong
• OCR held at 2.5%

See you all next month ....

June 2012

A SAFE HAVEN FOR All

 

A strong tradition of social justice is based on the principles of justice for the sake of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees.

 

We should approach and live by these principles and to do that we can encourage and influence our nation’s leaders to use these principles in their policies, decisions and actions.

 

The first principle is: PEOPLE HAVE THE RIGHT TO FIND OPPORTUNITIES IN THEIR HOMELAND

This principle states that a person has a right not to migrate.  In other words, economic, social, and political conditions in their homeland should provide an opportunity for a person to work and support his or her family in dignity and safety. In public policy terms, efforts should be made to address global economic inequities through just trade practices, economic development, and debt relief. Peacemaking efforts should be advanced to end conflict which forces persons to flee their homes.

 

The second principle is: PERSONS HAVE THE RIGHT TO MIGRATE TO SUPPORT THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES.

When persons are unable to find work and support themselves and their families, they have a right to migrate to other countries and work. This right is not absolute.   It applies when “there are just reasons for it.” In the current condition of the world, in which global poverty is rampant and political unrest has resulted in wars and persecution, migrants who are forced to leave their homes out of necessity and seek only to survive and support their families must be given special consideration.

The third principle is: SOVEREIGN NATIONS HAVE A RIGHT TO CONTROL THEIR BORDERS.

The sovereign nation has the right to protect and control its borders in the service of the common good of its citizens.   Again, this is not an absolute right.   Nations also have an obligation to the universal common good and should seek to accommodate migration as much as they can.   Nations, great and small, are called upon to establish immigration systems that provide legal avenues for persons to enter their nation in a safe, orderly, and dignified manner to obtain jobs and reunite with family members.

 

The fourth principle is: REFUGEES AND ASYLUM SEEKERS SHOULD BE OFFERED PROTECTION.

Persons who flee their home countries because they fear persecution should be given safe haven and protection in another country. Conflict and political unrest in many parts of the world force persons to leave their homes for fear of death or harm. They are entitled to be granted a safe haven.

 

The fifth principle is: THE HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE HUMAN DIGNITY OF UNDOCUMENTED MIGRANTS SHOULD BE RESPECTED.

Persons who enter a nation without proper authorization or who over-stay their visas should be treated with respect and dignity. They should not be detained in restricted conditions for lengthy periods of time. They should be afforded due process of the law and, if applicable, allowed to express a fear of return to their home before a qualified adjudicator. They should not be blamed for the social ills of a nation.

 

The sixth principle is: MIGRANTS, REFUGEES and ASYLUM SEEKERS HAVE RESPONSIBILITIES TOO.

They have responsibilities to respect and promote the traditions, customs and laws of their host country.    They must not undermine the traditions, customs and laws of their host country by seeking to replace them with traditions, customs and laws of their own.

 

There are sufficient resources in our world so that all people can have shelter and a safe haven.

 

(Taken from a Homily, E Blazoni, SM)

February 2012

Yes, a month to remember or perhaps a month to forget as soon as possible. Why you may ask? The main reason is the directive from Immigration New Zealand reference the section 61 of the Immigration Act 2009. This section deals with people who are not on a valid visa anymore;

61. Grant of visa in special case

1. The Minister may at any time, of the Minister's own volition, grant a visa of any type to a person who

a. is nlawfully in New Zealand; and

b. is not a person in respect of whom a deportation order is in force

2. A decision to grant a visa under subsection 1 is in the Minster's absolute discretion

Well, that is OK, I have no issues with that at all! However, Immigration New Zealand has now directed to its staff NOT to record any reasons why the request for a section 61 is refused or why it has not been granted!

This directive is in my view totally incorrect as it breaches a variety of regulations that are applicable in this case;

• The Public Records Act that states that "every public office and local authority must create and maintain full and acurate records of its affairs, in accordance with normal prudent business practice."
• It allows Immigration New Zealand to avoid judicial reviews as no information is recorded or noted.
• Fair and Natural Justice is the all encompassing reason as it totally disregards accountability, transparency and it does not allow the applicant to state its case or give reasons why it happened.

While the directive has been issued, please note that this is not over yet! Many organisations (Lawyers, Immigration Advisers, Civil Liberties, etc) are ready to do battle with INZ on this particular issue, so please watch our News sections where we will keep you up to date with the developments.

In the mean time, please ensure that you remain on a valid visa at all times when in New Zealand or when travelling to New Zealand, with the appropriate travel conditions.

 

 

January 2012

Well, the same here, again a very short month. Reason is that I went overseas to visit my family in Holland and only returned in the office on 23 January. Indeed, a long break, but it could not be otherwise!

December 2011

December was only half a month as we closed our offices on 22 December......, so not much to tell to be honest. In the mean time we did some articles in our news sections that will keep you up to date, so please feel free to visit our News section.

November 2011

The highlights what happened this month can be summed up in a lot of articles as published under our News section.

The Election which resulted in the National Party  staying in power with an increased majority, is one of the main discussed articles.

Some other discussions focussed on New Zealanders leaving New Zealand for Austalia and returning at a later stage.

This is not a new phenomenon, this has always been there. I believe it is more a result of becoming more mobile, becoming "world" citizens in stead of "country" citizens, and staying healthier longer.

The development in technology (mobile phones, Skype, internet, medical care etc) and the fact that distances become shorter (faster travelling times, improved international connections) also play an important role in this.

What however is a phenomenon is New Zealand itself! It is a fantastic destination to visit, to work and to live. Despite being a small country population wise, it is still a great place to bring up children or start a business. So come and join us!

See you all in December ...