For a number of years now, we have moved towards a Visa system that measures skill by way of the salary being earned. While there are still assessments of occupations and duties, salaries and the amount you earn has become a key part of the Visa process.

Although this system was designed to simplify thing (mostly for INZ) it creates it’s own set of problems for applicants, as well as wider issues for wage rates generally. We take a look at how it works, why we do it and whether it is all about to change.

It’s official, we have a new Government, consisting of the National Party, the ACT Party and New Zealand first. A first for New Zealand with three political parties sharing the reigns.

We also have a new Minister of Immigration and two Associate Ministers, which is a bit unusual (there is usually only one Associate). So does this signal a radical change to the immigration process…

Tis the season (almost) where INZ starts to gear up for the holiday shut-down and at the same time, more and more people are rushing to get their visas filed.

The end of the year, brings about the crazy in many of us and for the would-be migrant, it can get down-right ludicrous, trying to beat the holiday rush to achieve that crucial Visa approval.

Sometimes what we are able to achieve can appear to the average client to be magic…a visa miracle of sorts, pulling off the impossible, or the making the unachievable happen.

I will admit sometimes, it feels a little bit like that from our view, but I can assure you that what really happens is the perfect mixture of knowledge, relationships and some good old-fashioned hard work.

When it comes to visa applications, there are very few things more important than timing. Of course you have to have all the right documentation and meet the necessary criteria, but in almost twenty years of doing this, timing is the one element that trips people up more often than not.

For some people, getting the application lodged quickly is important, but for others it pays to take your time. Trying to figure out which can be a bit of a minefield and ensuring you don’t miss the visa boat is crucial.

Visa’s can confusing and the sheer volume of them can make choosing one, a similar exercise to picking desert off a menu in a foreign country.

Sometimes however the simplest of choices can be the most confusing to navigate. The humble Visitor Visa is one of those types of Visas. It can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different migrants.

All too often I hear from applicants who have landed themselves in some hot water with Immigration New Zealand (INZ) because they have either failed to declare something or something they declared was in fact not the truth.

INZ treats this stuff pretty seriously and rightly so, and for some applicants it can spell the end of their visa journey…but what happens if you genuinely made a mistake or someone else made that mistake on your behalf?

New Zealand has voted…well just under 79% of us did at least, in what felt like one of the biggest election campaigns in living memory. This election may not have seen the turnout of previous years or a landslide victory for anyone, but it certainly captured the nations attention.

Naturally, questions are starting to flow as to what this all means for the future migrant and what changes might come. Following our pre-election article, we take a closer look at what might be on the table in the near future.

This weekend, New Zealanders will be exercising their democratic voice, heading to the polls to cast their votes and deciding who will run the country for the next three years. Interestingly, just under one million of us have already voted, over the course of the last two weeks, leaving two million people, to do the same between now and when the polls close on Saturday.

For those unfamiliar with our electoral process, we operate under a Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) system, which gives people two votes - one for the party they support and then another for the local candidate they would like to back in their electorate. Each party is fighting to secure the biggest share of party and electoral candidate votes so they can hold the biggest share of seats in parliament.

A big part of what we do here at Turner Hopkins Immigration is coaching people not only on the Visa process, to reach a successful outcome, but we also give plenty of advice on the job search - which usually forms a key role in the Visa process anyway.

I have always been a big advocate for the power or a strong and useful network, particularly in a country like New Zealand, where who you know, often weighs in far heavier that what you know.

If you have never heard of a Rube Goldberg machine, then the above image might not make much sense, but to bring you up to speed, they are basically a machine that makes a simple process (like switching on a light) as complicated as humanly possible - with often ludicrous, over the stop steps added just for fun.

If you have ever tried to decipher what our current Skilled Migrant category looks like or how it operates, with the end objective being to attract skilled, employable people - you could be forgiven for thinking that INZ have created their very own Rube Goldberg machine.

It takes guts to move to another country…no doubt about it, and sometimes, even just the decision making process can turn the most stoic of people in to puddles of nervous anxiety.

It can also be very easy to over-think this decision and to talk yourself out of it. We share some tips and experiences from our clients, who have already navigated this process and taken the leap, diving head first in to a new life in New Zealand.

For applications that go off the rails, receiving a letter from INZ spelling out a myriad of concerns, issues or even just requests for more information can send you in to a panic. INZ and the letters they send have a very unique way of striking fear in to the hearts of many a migrant.

In this article we explore what happens when you get one of these letters, why you might be receiving one and what you can do to address them.

For most migrants, finding a job is not only a key to a new life, but the cornerstone of a Visa application, and so there is a lot to be said for how this process works, what doesn’t work and some of the most commonly made mistakes.

We have assisted a lot of people over the years to secure Residence in New Zealand and as part of that, we have figured out a useful tips when it comes to the job search.

If you are South African, the word ‘Gatvol’ will make perfect sense and if you are in South Africa, wondering when the lights will turn back on, it will resonate even more loudly.

For those, unfamiliar with the term it is a very eloquent way of saying you have had a “guts full”. A word I hear often when talking to prospective South African candidates for migration to New Zealand.

Paul Janssen speaks to Radio New Zealand on the issue of migrant exploitation - a topic that has been gaining significant media and political attention over the last few weeks.

Audio file available to stream or download from the article page (or external link to Radio New Zealand).

New Zealand is a bit unique when it comes to how we dish out Resident Visas and when we offer ‘Permanent Residence’, we are one of very few countries around the world that actually means it.

The process to secure Residence is complicated, but once you have it, your ability to keep it forever can be a lot more straight-forward. The big benefit NZ offers, is the fact that it is in fact permanent.

This week our new (and yes we have had a few recently) Immigration Minister has been pushed in to admitting that the Accredited Employer Work Visa scheme, needs to be reviewed. However the review is being undertaken of how INZ is delivering it, which is actually a smart move.

There is no shortage of bad press on this Visa policy at the moment, and plenty more to come, but is it really a flawed system or have their been other factors contributing to the spike in cases of migrant exploitation?

The last pool draw under the current Skilled Migrant Category is due to take place next Wednesday (16 August) and then we will enter a brief pause, before the new policy takes effect on 09 October.

For every Visa fact, there are a hundred or more myths and often those myths end up steering people down completely the wrong track or worse still, ending up being declined.