Tag Archives: Migrant news

Will the new KiwiBuild visa cut the mustard for migrant workers?

KiwiBuild visa changes

On the 27th of June the Government announced it is revising the KiwiBuild visa scheme and changing immigration settings to try to address New Zealand’s shortage in construction workers. But will these changes address the issues?

New Zealand as a destination is a difficult sell even for large construction companies. It takes a lot to get a builder from the UK to move to New Zealand, where the cost of living is high but the wages are not.

It’s even harder if you can’t offer that person the certainty of residence. If the potential talent that might be recruited using these schemes can’t get a residence visa, the ability of employers to attract that talent will be compromised.

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Migrant employers need to get the record straight…

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Migrant employers need to get the record straight…

Employers hiring migrants have been making headlines lately for breaching immigration and employment law. Leading immigration lawyer Aaron Martin and solicitor Eleanor Gregan of Davenports Harbour Law discuss the most common mistakes made by migrant employers and how to avoid them.

From 1 April 2017, employers who incur a penalty for breaching employment standards have faced a stand-down period preventing them from recruiting migrant labour. The stand-down period is for six months, one year, 18 months, or two years, depending on the severity of the breach.

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Demand for labour vs work visa numbers – the Government’s rock and hard place

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Demand for labour vs work visa numbers – the Government’s rock and hard place

It’s time to get real:

  • Auckland needs skilled labour
  • Employers in Auckland need to be able to retain staff.

The new budget will be announced on the 17th of May and one of the most critical issues facing the government is how they going to tackle the immigration limits they campaigned on setting, vs economic growth.

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Major bureaucratic flaws in New Zealand’s immigration system

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Leading Auckland immigration lawyer Aaron Martin knows from extensive experience with clients exactly where the frustrations and incompetencies of the current process lie. He has some suggestions for the new Government about where its focus should be when it comes to immigration.

The Labour Party election campaign focused on positive messages. So I eagerly looked forward to an equally positive message from the new Minister of Immigration. But in an article on the Newsroom website on 1 December the Minister started on a negative: the immigration system was broken and required more money to catch those who try to shaft it.

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Building boom without a skilled labour force?

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With Labour looking to create 100,000 new houses for first home buyers within the next decade, who is going to build these homes? With the building industry already facing a labour shortage and currently filling the skilled positions with overseas workers, who will be left to fill the demand when immigration numbers are cut?

This morning reporter Tom Furley from Radio New Zealand discussed the potentially compromising position the New Zealand Government have put themselves in with their plan to cut immigration numbers.

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What impact will Winston Peters bring to the migrant community?

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What Impact will Winston Peters bring to the migrant community?

The results of the election suggest the next year will be very interesting for the migrant community.

As predicted, Winston Peters is kingmaker. For 21 years Peters has pushed an anti-migrant platform, and we can expect that any coalition deal New Zealand First makes – whether with Labour or National – will include some attempt to curtail immigration numbers.

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Innovative migrant employment program launches in Sydney

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A common problem that migrants face is often unemployment or underemployment. Moving to another country can seem very exciting at first; however scouring job advertisements and endless job interviews can make finding a job in another country very daunting. Migrants not only face the struggle of job hunting but also the hassle of not having their qualifications recognised in their new country. Often the struggle of finding a job within the field that they have studied and worked in, leads migrants to taking work outside of their industry.

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Immigration law changes ahead

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How many migrants will be impacted by the proposed immigration law changes in 2017?

The government has set Immigration New Zealand the task of reducing the number of residence visas issued per year. The target for total migration is now 45,000, with 60% to come from the skilled and business streams. That’s about 27,000 people.

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