New Zealand
News Briefs

One hundred points are still needed for permanent residence in New Zealand via Skilled Migration.

In this fortnight's draw, 703 applications, representing 1,785 people, were selected. These applicants will now undergo preliminary checks. Currently 81 percent of those who have undergone the verification process are invited to formally apply for residence in New Zealand.

Top 10 Countries of those now eligible for Residence

Despite shortages of labour and the historically high value of the NZ dollar, most New Zealand businesses are still confident of their future prospects.

The National Bank's November survey of businesses found forty percent expect their business's activity to increase over the next twelve months, while forty six percent expect no change and only fourteen percent expect activity to deteriorate. These results are consistent with continued economic expansion.

Manufacturing and agriculture were the most optimistic sectors while retailers, although postive, were less so than other sectors.

The National Bank has published figures for growth in economic activity in New Zealand between September 2003 and September 2004. There was growth in all regions although Wellington and Auckland were not as dynamic as many of the more rural regions.

Annual Regional Economic Activity Growth

The New Zealand Herald reports the use of electronic screening of CV's/Resumes by some recruiters in New Zealand. Computer software searches applications for key words specified by the advertiser.

If words - such as a qualification or job title - are absent, a rejection is automatically compiled and emailed to the applicant. The emails can be sent after a delay so it appears the rejection was a considered response.

One of the companies offering "electronic candidate screening" is the online job site Seek. For $50 on top of its normal fee advertisers may specify screening questions.

If you apply online using any kind of tick box it is possible your application will be decided by a computer.

It may be possible to avoid electronic screening by applying for jobs using paper and ink and/or to make contact with employers by telephone.

TV1 reports New Zealand has turned to Samoa in an effort to reduce its shortages of prison wardens and road workers.

New Zealand has a shortage of 300 prison officers. A recruitment campaign in Samoa has attracted hundreds of applications. From these, officials hope 60 new recruits will soon be working in New Zealand's prisons.

Employers deny they are filling jobs New Zealanders don't want.

John Wills from Roading New Zealand said there are so many jobs available in the industry "we are happy to offer them to anyone who wants them".

Figures from the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand show a new record national median selling price of $252,500 in October, up from September's $250,000

Sales volume improved with sales up from 7,854 in September to 8,191 in October; median days to sell fell from 31 to 30.

Median House Prices by Region

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports the increasing interest in emigrating from the USA following the re-election of George W. Bush.

Lori from Tacoma said her family plans to move to New Zealand and are 50 percent motivated by US politics.

"The current administration heightened our feelings, and the erosion of civil rights and the capitalistic, consumerist culture, which is difficult not to participate in," she said.

The couple applied to become permanent residents of New Zealand in 2002 and received approval five months ago. Now, they're taking the steps to immigrate to a place they believe offers a slower pace, is less divisive, and a has greater social net.

Terry Murphy, marketing director for the New Zealand Immigration Service in Portland, says he's getting five times the normal volume of calls.

In Los Angeles, Murphy's counterpart, Don Badman, said about 25,000 Americans live in New Zealand now.

He expects a spike in applications from what some call "Bush refugees".

Barbara Mitchell, 37, is a Seattleite who has thought of leaving the U.S. ever since Bush was elected president in 2000.

"It started as kind of joking, like, if I need to get out of here, New Zealand seems like the place to go," said Mitchell, a music promoter who manages bands and runs a record label. "Yeah, they have a big ozone hole, but I'm nocturnal. They have great coffee, great food and a great music scene."

The complete article is an interesting read.

With unemployment the lowest it has been for 18 years, a number of businesses are very keen that immigration laws should be relaxed to enable them to find workers more easily.

Yesterday The Press reported that Canterbury asparagus growers cannot find enough pickers and that half of this year's crop could be lost. There are simply too few workers. Growers say pay rates of up to $19 per hour are available.

Today, speaking on National Radio, Immigration Minister Paul Swain said,

"This is a really interesting time in New Zealand. For a long time we had too many people and not enough jobs. Now we've got too many jobs and not enough people. We haven't been in this place for about two decades."

Mr Swain promised "some immigration solutions" to help the horticulture industry.

"We're concentrating on quality (of migrants). I'm not keen to flood New Zealand with a whole pile of cheap labour which obviously is not good in the long term for New Zealand and drives New Zealand wage rates down."

With unemployment at 3.8%, New Zealanders are continuing to boost the country's shops with record spending.

Figures from Statistics New Zealand show that retail sales rose 2.6 percent in the September 2004 quarter, compared with the June 2004 quarter.

Spending was up 8.1 percent on the same time last year. It is possible the Reserve Bank will interpret such strong growth in employment and spending as a sign that interest rates need to be raised yet again.

One hundred points are still needed for permanent residence in New Zealand via Skilled Migration.

In this fortnight's draw, 666 applications, representing 1,621 people, were selected. These applicants will now undergo preliminary checks. Currently 80 percent of those who have undergone the verification process are invited to formally apply for residence in New Zealand.

Top 10 Countries of those now eligible for Residence

New Zealand's unemployment rate fell to 3.8 percent in the September quarter according to statistics released by the government today.

This quarter's fall was mainly due to women rather than men finding employment.

Emirates will launch a second daily service between Dubai and Birmingham from mid-2005 providing connections in each direction with New Zealand flights.

The flight will begin operating on June 1, 2005, and will be served by 285-seat Airbus A330-200 aircraft.

The additional flight comes on top of Emirates' four services a day to Heathrow, three to Gatwick, two to Manchester and once daily to Glasgow, all offering connections with New Zealand.

Bloomberg reports Finance Minister Michael Cullen's comments that the NZ dollar, after reaching at an eight-month high of 70.54 U.S. cents on Oct. 25, may be at or near its peak.

"There are concerns, of course, principally the persistent strength of the New Zealand dollar and the rise of the oil price (both of which are showing signs of being at or near their peak)."

The rise in the price of crude oil is "part of a broader surge in commodity prices, including dairy, lamb and beef prices".

As a result, New Zealand's terms of trade have been "largely unchanged overall".

Skilled people wanting a New Zealand work permit should fly to Sydney to apply, says National's Immigration spokesman, Tony Ryall.

"The Government's administration of work permits is incompetent," he says.

"Employers are crying out for staff, but the Government is taking too long to process applications."

"Sydney can issue a New Zealand work permit within a week, but in Hamilton it takes eight weeks! In Wellington it takes five weeks. Even in London they can be processed within seven days. This difference is scandalous."

Mr Ryall says that in the Finance and Expenditure Committee last week the Labour Department "wrung its hands and gave a list of excuses".

"The fact is, it takes longer today to get a work permit at many immigration offices than it did a year ago."

"National will ensure that processing times are improved for skilled people who will add to our economy. These applicants aren't refugees with no skills - they are people who will add value to New Zealand."

"If the Government was serious about growing the economy we wouldn't have these delays."

Associate Immigration Minister Damien O'Connor headed to Bangkok yesterday for a New Zealand Immigration Service workshop aimed at improving the offshore recruitment of migrants.

The workshop's being held from 3-11 November, and will bring together managers from the New Zealand Immigration Service's offshore posts, as well as Thailand-based representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise and Tourism New Zealand.

The ultimate aim was to create an overall strategy to promote New Zealand to the world, and to attract top quality migrants.

"I'll also discuss the markets which are currently identified as having source potential for migrants, students, workers and visitors (primarily the United Kingdom and the United States), and challenge some of the thinking around these markets."

While in Bangkok, Mr O'Connor will also have a bilateral meeting with Thai ministers, and meet with immigration staff at the New Zealand Embassy there. As well, he'll meet with New Zealand Police, Customs Liaison Officers and airport staff based in Bangkok, to discuss border security issues.

Air New Zealand has begun flying its first ever non-stop service between Los Angeles and Christchurch.

The new service operates three times per week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.

Currently, passengers flying from North America or flying from Europe via North America to New Zealand must fly to Auckland then catch an internal flight to Christchurch.

"The South Island of New Zealand seems to have an unfair number of the world's beautiful places," said Gerard Gilmore, Air New Zealand's Vice President, The Americas, UK and Europe. "But we're happy to share those with the rest of the world, and this new service will allow travellers to experience the South Island more conveniently than ever before."