Our entire visa process is based on words…a lot of them, and as with anything based on written rules, it is subject to a lot of interpretation. The difference is that interpretations in the visa space can have huge impacts, not only on their visa status, but their entire lives. One word in the wrong place, or one word taken to mean something different by an INZ officer, can create an entirely different set of rules to those which were intended.

Deciphering visa instructions and being able to understand the original intent and purpose is both an art and a science, but not something we should expect the average migrant (who will hopefully only tackle this process once) to have to Master. So why are they so complicated and do they really need to be that way?

Setting aside the absolute circus that is American politics, it was interesting to see that the former US President, Donald J Trump, who is now attempting another shot at the big chair, has become the first US President (ex or otherwise) to be convicted of a crime and in turn (and more importantly for us), the first President to potentially require a visa and character waiver to travel to New Zealand.

Americans enjoy a visa-waiver agreement with New Zealand allowing them to apply for an NZETA (electronic travel authority) via an app, which then gives them the ability to travel here. However for any visa-waiver traveler convicted of certain criminal wrongdoing, that visa-waiver status is replaced by the need to formally apply for a visa, as well as having their character assessed.

With South African’s anxiously awaiting the outcome of their national elections, which could represent one of the biggest political shifts in the last 30 years, there are a lot of people considering whether now is the right time to make the move.

For any potential migrant, deciding on whether to move at all, is both a process of ‘why’ and ‘when’ - which are often complex puzzles to solve. For some people, the motivations are more obvious and for others, they can take a long time to come to the surface. We take a look at some of the reasons people move country, and whether there really is a better or worse time to migrate.

Twenty years in this business and I have seen plenty of ups and downs, particularly when it comes to the way INZ processes applications. Over that time, I have also seen how easily, good quality applicants can be caught out by INZ simply taking a different approach to all applicants.

These ups and downs also tend to happen as the political winds change direction and right now we are seeing exactly that as the new coalition Government is trying to clean up the mess left by the previous Government.

Twenty years in this business and I have seen plenty of ups and downs, particularly when it comes to the way INZ processes applications. Over that time, I have also seen how easily, good quality applicants can be caught out by INZ simply taking a different approach to all applicants.

These ups and downs also tend to happen as the political winds change direction and right now we are seeing exactly that as the new coalition Government is trying to clean up the mess left by the previous Government.

Just this week, mainstream media reported on a case of 25 Bangladeshi travelers who were denied entry in to New Zealand, because it was suspected that they weren’t actually transiting through the country to join a cruise or head over the ditch to Australia.

Whilst visa scams are not new, they are becoming more prevalent and they aren’t always isolated to particular countries. As more and more people look to greener pastures offshore, the number of people looking to exploit that desire is increasing and in very clever ways.

For anyone planning to make the move to New Zealand, the myriad of emotions, fears and thoughts that you will experience are enormous, in fact I often tell prospective clients, that next to getting married, buying your first home or having your first child - migrating will be one of the biggest emotional events you will ever experience. It is a big deal.

Unfortunately many people underestimate the impact an international relocation will have and instead tend to focus more on the logistics and financial impacts, and overlook the less obvious factors such as the process to acclimatize and settle in to your new surroundings.

There has been a lot of talk lately about the volume of migrants New Zealand has seen coming across the border over the last 12 months - something I have commented on frequently. In general terms, the media and indeed the Government refer to this number as “migrants” generally, which creates the image of an ever-increasing population.

However what is slowly starting to come to the surface is the fact that despite these higher numbers, the level of skills we are importing is in fact reducing and the increased numbers of lower-skilled applicants on temporary Visas are starting to reveal the cracks in our Visa system.

It would be fair to say that the rivalry between Australia and New Zealand carries over well past any sporting arena and in recent years, both countries have been in a quietly competitive race to attract talent, with very different approaches. Australia is just three hours away from New Zealand (well the closest part) and for any prospective migrant offers many of the same benefits and attractions that New Zealand does, all of which form part of their motivation for moving.

However they are still very different countries with different environments, people, economic conditions and of course Visa processes. Over the years, they have borrowed from each other in terms of visa rules and settings offering the would-be migrant quite different options.

The new AEWV rules have been out for just under a week and it has become pretty obvious that these were rushed to market by both the Minister and also by INZ. There is also significant confusion flying around on various social media platforms as to some of the very specific areas of the policy, which need some clarification.

There is no real surprise here, given the Government was under significant pressure to sort out a fix to the ailing AEWV system and a whole new set of rules would have been a very complicated thing to have tried to create. Instead what was done, was a roll back to a lot of previous policy settings that existed when we had the Essential Skills Work Visa in play.

Big changes announced to the AEWV overnight, which will have plenty of people wondering where that leaves them. The changes introduce new requirements, depending on the skill level of the role in question, a minimum skill threshold and increased compliance for employers.

However this is (largely) policy we have seen before. With the exception of the English tests for lower skilled applicants, much of what the Government has rolled out is familiar territory. So a case of “back to the future” - we dive in with a detailed few explainers and a couple of plot spoilers.

If you were on the fence about migrating to this great little country, given all the recent media attention on our economy and the job market - I wouldn’t blame you. Its hard not to be distracted by the noise.

Things aren’t always that clear cut however and in this week’s article we take a closer look at what is happening in terms of the job market, the impacts on those would-be migrants and some tips on how to navigate the job search process.

In a somewhat surprise announcement yesterday, the Government has decided to add Secondary School Teachers to Tier 1 of the INZ Green List. This means that where these applicants previously had a two-year pathway to Residence, they now have the ability to apply for Residence directly.

For reasons known only to INZ and the Minister, the change only takes effect in May (a month away) but it will open the door for a number of applicants to get through the process much quicker.

There are some applications and some clients, where not only do you have to go the extra mile, but you find you are going those extra miles on more than one occasion. When it looks impossible, being able to stay the course is an exercise in patience and dogged determination.

We have just had one such case, spanning the last year for a simple Visitor Visa, which has finally been decided and approved - not after one attempt but three.

Over the last 10 years and counting, the Work Visa has overtaken the Resident Visa in terms of complexity and importance. Before, the Resident Visa process was the most complicated and ultimately most talked about, however with our current settings, the Work Visa is now the most important piece of the puzzle.

We have moved gradually towards a ‘work to residence’ immigration model in New Zealand, following the lead of many other migrant destinations…but are we on the right track and is our Work Visa process fit for purpose?

Once again, our record migration numbers have hit headlines as the media spins itself into a flurry recording the tens of thousands of people who arrived in the last few months. With a net gain of 5300 new ‘migrants’ in January, slightly down from December, the numbers remain high.

So is New Zealand filling up, will there be any space left for new arrivals and what does all of this mean for anyone looking to come here and the visa process that they might have to follow?

If you have engaged in the Visa process already, you will know the feeling that washes over you when you finally click the “submit” button on your application. A mixed sense of relief and then a momentary pause, followed by a unhealthy dose of paranoia. Did I get it right, did I provide the right evidence, did I tick the correct box, will my payment go through?

If you think that an adviser is immune to that feeling, you would be wrong, we still get it as well, although I would argue that any adviser that claims they don’t, is doing it wrong. The application process is a big-deal and so being a little paranoid about what happens when you do submit is completely normal.

Thanks to the power of social media (which is ironic, given the rest of this post), I am able to engage with a number of immigration professionals around the world, all working with different systems. It is fascinating to see how our process here in New Zealand stacks up against, the systems of other countries.

Yesterday I was engaged in a really interesting discussion with someone in Canada, who was in turn discussing the process of “DIY visa applications” with another individual, keen on selling some sort of automated application process. Obviously that got me thinking about the way the application process has changed here over the years and the role that the “DIY” process takes in the context of trying to secure a New Zealand visa.

This weeks blog is a game of two-halves, with the first part focussing on the trials and tribulations of telling your children, that you are about to uproot them, to move to another country. The second half, is focussed on the slightly more technical aspects of actually including those children in your application (there are different rules for different visas).

The inspiration for this blog came from a conversation I had with a potential client earlier in the week. Bob (not his real name) was contemplating the big move, along with his wife (who was already onboard) their two children - somewhat less enthusiastic. As we discussed the various steps involved, and some of the challenges, the topic of “when and how do we tell the kids” came about. Bob was already knee deep in some teenage angst, having dropped this particular bombshell on his children already.

The term “Permanent Residence” or “PR” is probably the most commonly misunderstood Visa reference in the INZ vocabulary and that is largely because the term itself doesn’t actually refer to whether you can live here permanently or not, but instead it refers to your ability to travel in and out of New Zealand, once you have your Resident Visa approved.

PR as we will call it in this article, is actually the right to leave NZ and then return as a Resident (referred to as “Travel Conditions”) and comes with various timeframes attached. We also take a look at the options to extend these travel conditions, as well as what happens if you miss the boat on being able to turn your Resident Visa in to a Permanent one.