
A variety of immigration, business and general news articles taken from New Zealand newspapers, websites and other sources (sources are mentioned at the bottom of each article) and selected by Terra Nova Consultancy Ltd. It may assist the reader being more or less up-to-date what is happening in Aotearoa, "the Land of the Long White Cloud". Happy reading, enjoy ... and if you have any questions on these updates - please contact us...
Newest article always on top.
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.
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.
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
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)
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)
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)
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 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."
August 2008
Mindful of the Common Good – Thinking about Election 2008
All citizens ought to be mindful of their right and their duty to promote the common good by using their vote.
Pope John Paul II
It is in the interests of political parties and candidates to know what the public wants. So it comes back to us: we are the public. What do we want? More importantly, what are our wants based on?
The focus of this election reflection is our Catholic values and attitudes, because what we expect of our candidates comes back to what really matters to us as a community.
It is tempting to say: everybody’s wants are different; what difference will my vote make among so many? Probably not much if all we do is cast a vote. And probably less still if our vote is determined by uncritical affiliation to a party, or some single issue, or a personality cult. We need some way of evaluating all party manifestos, all issues and all personalities.
Can Christ’s gospel be any help? Obviously the gospel does not give us a blueprint for social and economic policies. But social and economic policies should be in the service of human dignity and a humane society, in which every person matters. The gospel is about how much we matter to God. This is the basis for everything the Church teaches concerning human life and human dignity, right across the spectrum of human life from conception to death.
The Church does not tell people how to vote. Nor does it endorse any political party. There is often room for legitimate differences of opinion because it can be difficult to judge which policies – and especially which packages of policies – will contribute best to making “human life more human” (Pope John Paul II). However, the Church has considerable experience in applying the gospel to life-situations, especially from our long record of providing health care, education and social services.
Political debate can often appear to be a mixture of rhetoric, appeals to personal and special interests, slogans and media hype. In contrast to this, the Church asks us to consider a different type of political engagement: one which is focused on the common good of all members of our society. Sometimes that can mean looking further than our own individual preferences.
In our form of democracy, the party system presents us with manifestos that are a package deal. Not every part of the package might be to our liking, or even to the liking of some candidates. And so strategic voting and coalition considerations can be called for. Part of that strategic voting is to put into parliament people of personal integrity and values, which brings us back to values, starting with our own values as members of the Catholic community.
These are some issues where we may need to consider what are our values and the values of political candidates, particularly in relation to points where human life and dignity are most vulnerable:
Life itself
“The Church teaches that human life begins at conception and lasts until we draw our final breath… When society decides that certain types of killing are moral the door is opened to many others.” NZCBC, Consistent Ethic of Life, 1997
Every abortion involves taking one person’s life for another person’s reasons. But we need to do more than condemn. Our responsibility to protect unborn children includes considering the legal framework for abortions, and also supporting pregnant and single mothers, and ensuring all children are welcomed and supported.
What is the position of political candidates on the protection of unborn children?
What do they say about the social and economic circumstances which contribute to higher or lower rates of abortion?
What protection and support do political candidates offer for children likely to be born with disabilities?
The Church supports stem cell research using adult stem cells or umbilical cord blood, but not creating embryos for the purposes of research and other people’s medication and then discarding them.
What do your political candidates say about research or medical procedures based on embryos?
Those who support euthanasia and assisted suicide sometimes seek our support by claiming they are acts of mercy. The Church in contrast sees this as an abandonment of people who most need our care and protection, particularly when they themselves are concerned not to be a burden to others.
What do political candidates offer as policies on access by all New Zealanders to adequate palliative care for those who are dying?
What is the personal position of candidates on euthanasia and other conscience issues?
Family life and the rights of children
“When parents are forced to work long hours at the expense of time spent with each other and with their children, we see children and young people who are left without the comfort and security of traditional family interraction.” NZCBC, Easter Trading Statement, 2007
Some employment policies and practices affect family life. For example, families can be deprived of adequate time together, workers may have experienced a reduction in job security and real wages, and children and young people may not be sufficiently protected.
What do political candidates in your electorate say about the impact of employment changes on family and whanau life?
What practical steps do candidates and political parties intend to take to ease financial pressures on New Zealand’s poorest families and whanau?
Psychologists point out that a father’s love and a mother’s love are different and that each contributes differently to a child’s development. The Church continues to recognise and respect the need for a child to receive both kinds of love.
What political views on same sex couples conflict with this wisdom?
What commitment do political candidates have to a child-centred approach to decisions that are sometimes framed by adult agendas?
Economic policies
There are needs and common goods that cannot be satisfied by the market system. It is the task of the State and of all society to defend them. An idolatry of the market alone cannot do all that should be done.” Pope John Paul II, Centesimus Annus, 1991
Ten years ago the Churches joined together in the Hikoi of Hope to ask the government to give more weight to the impact of the economy on people’s lives in the areas of employment, poverty, housing, health and education. New Zealand now has the lowest unemployment figures in the OECD, but this has not been reflected in improved living standards for the poorest New Zealanders, and inequality continues to grow. Our Catholic social tradition recognises that the effect on the poorest and most vulnerable members of our community is the measure of our public policies.
How do political candidates intend to address the economic hardship experienced by New Zealand’s poorest members, especially those on benefits and low wages?
What do political parties say about disparities in living standards and life expectancy between Maori, Pacific and Pakeha New Zealanders?
A truly humane society would ensure that people have times of stillness to see more deeply into life; times of quiet to hear from the heart; time for wonder, beauty and thanksgiving – and other things the Treasury cannot count. These are dimensions of life and of being truly human that are squeezed out when the market forces which should be in our service, somehow become our master.
What is the position of political candidates on issues like quality of life, and a work/life balance versus the demands of unrestrained consumerism?
Have your political candidates ever traced the link between having more, wanting more, spending more, borrowing more, earning more, and putting more stress on families and marriages, and what this is doing to the environment?
Refugees and asylum seekers
“We must not let our own problems cause us to overlook the extreme needs of the destitute people whom we call refugees.” NZCBC, Statement on Refugees and Migrants, 2002
Ultimately the planet belongs to all people – not to some more than others. How we share the planet comes back to decisions that are made by people. Some of those people represent us.
Millions of men, women and children are forced to leave their homes because of persecution. Many live in refugee camps for years on end, often sinking into despair and mental illness. Others reach New Zealand as asylum seekers.
How do the policies of political candidates recognise our obligations to refugees and asylum seekers? How compassionate and humanitarian are political policies?
Is our country doing enough for such people? Are our processing procedures and refugee laws just, honourable and expeditious?
International aid and development
“The superfluous wealth of rich countries should be placed at the service of poor nations. The world which up until now held good for the benefit of those nearest to us, must be today applied to all the needy of this world.” Pope Paul VI, Populorum Progressio, 1967
Allowing huge disparities of wealth and poverty to co-exist in our global community, and allowing some communities to become extremely marginalised and impoverished, has many lasting outcomes which also impoverish our own society in the long term. Through the international development and aid work undertaken by our development agency Caritas, we can see how a relatively small funding investment, combined with vision and personal sacrifice, can produce inspiring and long-lasting outcomes.
What is the position of political candidates on implementing New Zealand’s commitment to increase aid to 0.7% of gross national income by 2015?
Cultural diversity
“A peaceful and harmonious society is the fruit of justice, not of false understandings of what constitutes equality.” NZCBC, Cultural Diversity Statement, 2005
When diverse groups work together for the common good, they enrich our society through their respect for one another’s uniqueness and shared human dignity. We live in a diverse society, which has been vulnerable in recent years to those who wish to stir up division rather than create understanding between peoples.
Do the policies of political candidates and parties promote dialogue and understanding, or division and misunderstanding?
Is there any stereotyping of different ethnicities, religious and cultural groups by any political party?
What are political parties’ views on understanding the place of the Treaty of Waitangi in New Zealand society today?
What is the response of political candidates to the Religious Diversity statement issued by leaders of different faiths and Christian denominations in New Zealand last year?
Crime and punishment
"A new approach, not new prisons, is the answer to our growing prison population." NZCBC, Crime and Punishment Statement, 2006
A divisive debate is currently taking place between those seeking harsher and longer penalties for prisoners, and those seeking more opportunities for reconciliation and rehabilitation. The Church makes a strong commitment to the human dignity of those in our prisons through our prison chaplaincy service, and other social services.
What is the position of political candidates on restorative justice?
What do they say about support for victims?
What is their response to the disproportionate number of Maori in prison populations?
Environmental justice
“The very life and ecology of the planet faces severe threats from pollution, exploitation and mismanagement of its resources. Too often the driving forces for social change are greed and the desire for power, rather than the common good and solidarity of humanity.” NZCBC, A Consistent Ethic of Life, 1997)
The suffering of many of the poorest and most vulnerable communities in the world through environmental degradation and the effects of climate change is becoming an urgent and pressing issue for us all.
What steps are political candidates proposing to reduce New Zealand’s carbon emissions and dependence on fossil fuels?
What is the position of political candidates on responding to the needs of people in the Pacific who will be displaced by environmental changes?
How do political parties respect the relationship of New Zealand’s indigenous people to land?
Our lives are involved with one another, through innumerable interactions they are linked together. No one lives alone. No one sins alone. No one is saved alone. The lives of others continually spill over into mine: in what I think, say, do and achieve. And conversely, my life spills over into that of others: for better and for worse” (Pope Benedict XVI, Spe Salvi, 28).
Signatures:
+ Denis Browne
Bishop of Hamilton
President, NZCBC
+ John Dew
Archbishop of Wellington
Secretary, NZCBC
+ Colin Campbell
Bishop of Dunedin
+Peter Cullinane
Bishop of Palmerston North
+ Patrick Dunn
Bishop of Auckland
+Barry Jones
Bishop of Christchurch
+ Robin Leamy
Bishop Assistant in Auckland
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