[Bubbles]

Immigration Service signals review of selection point
Friday, March 18, 2005
In the near future the Immigration Service will be looking to review the Skilled Migrant Category selection point, which has been at 100 points for some time.

[Hannah-NL]

Does this mean Up or... Down? :?

[kiwidollie]

I thought 100 was the minimum....

[Hannah-NL]

Thats what I thought too, by the looks of it

[Bubbles]

I can't read minds unfortunately. :roll:

Only posting the news

Don't know if it means it will climb or drop.
I think we'll find out soon enough though.

John

[MB]

It may be that they are keen just to acknowledge that it is simply time to re-examine the pass mark and verify that it is at the right level... i.e, they may not be thinking of adjusting it so much as they are at pains simply to show that they are going to do some homework to justify keeping it at 100 for a while longer.

Alternatively, it is possible that they are posting the vague intention to raise the points as an "early warning" public-relations wise, so that 100-scoring folks will not so reasonably be able to complain that they have thrown away EOI fees having been lulled into the belief that the points would stay at 100 for many months more.

Cheers,
Matt.

[Danpoll]

If we look to the same point last year February was at 190 points and slid down 5 points per fortnight to the 100 in August/sep 04. Though it depends if the volume of plus 100's are out numbering the 100s.

Though I cant see a dramatic leap upwards but a 105,110 mark would be more realistic.

Its either that or they have fullfilled their 100 pointers for the time being and will start becomming more selective.

Dan

[Hayden1002]

Just come back from Emigrate 2005 and the NZIS speaker said to all those who haven't put an EOI in yet "Get it in because its (points) as low as its going to get"!
He never said it would be going up but rather IT WONT BE GOING DOWN

Sorry for shouting but I thought I'd better make sure that bit was clear.

[MB]

Whatever NZIS is planning, if you’re reading this pre-EOI and you’re at exactly 100 points – and you have no reason to think your points will soon go up (e.g., no college graduation or job offer pending v.soon) – I’d get your EOI in for the next draw (or at least as soon as you can without over-rushing yourself).

In case you’re just finding your bearings with this whole EOI thing: this announcement by NZIS may not be early-days bureaucratic blah that will eventually trickle down into action many months from now. Technically speaking, the points could go up in time for the next drawing which is less than two weeks away. Hence my advice.

But do other forum regulars agree with my advice? I wouldn’t want newbies to spend EOI money and time if I’m the only one suggesting this action. :nice1

Cheers,
Matt.

[NW2NZ]

I would suggest that anyone who is remotely considering emigrating to NZ would be foolish not to lodge an EOI. The worst that can happen is that they lose, what is it, £130? but the best that can happen is a whole new Country opens up to them. Bit like buying a lottery ticket...gotta be in it to win it! :hopeso

[MB]

Alternatively, it is possible that they are posting the vague intention to raise the points as an "early warning" public-relations wise, so that 100-scoring folks will not so reasonably be able to complain that they have thrown away EOI fees having been lulled into the belief that the points would stay at 100 for many months more.

Cheers,
Matt.

The more I think about it, the more I think this might have been their big motive in making the announcement they did. After all, merely telling us that a review is coming could be seen as a "So what?" kind of announcement because of its lack of concrete detail... were it not for the fact that by merely making that announcement they are at least hinting to folks that 100 points might soon not be enough. And fair enough, too, if that's NZIS' motive: it's a nice heads up.

The immigration company Protea Pacific suggests that NZIS are getting twice the number of EOIs needed to fill their (NZIS') quota. If correct, though, this might be a projection (rather than a comment on the state of play right now).... that is, that keeping the mark at 100 until June end would lead to a doubling-up of needed EOIs.

Also, let's bear in mind that since December it has been easier for folks to get the required 100 points. So if many applicants are now in, say, the 100-120 range (rather than 100-110 of old), the new selection point may start out at about 110 and rise quite quickly to 115-120 or so.

Ah, well, that's early speculation! May be nonsense! I don't have NZIS's statistics software.

Which brings me to what is perhaps my favorite "let's not forget this" NZIS fact. Which is that on the eve of the fortnightly drawing, NZIS knows pretty much exactly how many EOIs they'll harvest by setting a particular selection point. So they also know the percentage of EOIs that are at or between any given point. I always love to go on about this because someone new to the system could be forgiven for thinking that NZIS sets the selection point days or weeks ahead, somewhat in the spirit of a "guess-timate" as to how many folks they're going to get applying over the next week or few.
But nope. They know how many they're gonna get pretty much at the eleventh hour, and can announce the selection point accordingly. The dog is wagging the tail.

So they can also see the trends in the points range in which the majority of candidates are located, which in turn helps them adjust the selection point.

Cheers,
Matt.

[MB]

Footnote to my long post, for new folks who score in the 100-110 range:

whatever's going on, I'd get your EOI in now unless your points will shoot up soon for any reason. The selection point will not (cannot?) go down as such, I think most folks here will agree.

Also, if you 'only'( :laugh ) score 100 or so, be super-proud of it and get your EOI in. As has been discussed here recently, achieving 100 points is not easy. A lot of regulars here, I bet, are nodding their heads soberly in agreement with that. 100 points is certainly no cause for either complacency or for feeling shabby: NZIS is not scraping the barrel by having the points pegged that low.

So go for it and know the value of what you have!

That's not meant to sound patronizing. It's written by a family whose points were/are on that end of the scale of things, and who -- at least at the moment -- seem to be making pretty OK progress through the system. :nice1

Cheers,
Matt.

[Bubbles]

Well said Matt, my sentiments exactly. :yes

[debnjohn]

Apologies if this has already been posted:
Immigration rises slightly
Mar 21, 2005

New Zealand had a seasonally adjusted long-term and permanent net migration gain of 580 people in February, a small rise on the previous month, according to official data.

The net immigration gain compares with January's gain of 540.

On an actual, unadjusted basis, arrivals exceeded departures by 1,800 compared with a gain of 3,400 a year earlier, Statistics New Zealand says.

For the year ended February 28, there was a net gain in permanent and long-term migration of 11,100, down 63% on the net inflow of 30,100 people in the previous year.

Net annual migration gains have been falling since the peak of 42,500 in the year to May 2003, because of tighter immigration rules, a reduction in the number of foreign student studying in New Zealand, fewer New Zealanders returning home and more New Zealanders moving overseas.

There were 2,800 fewer New Zealand citizen arrivals in the year to February, while 5,100 more New Zealand citizens left.

The year saw a net permanent and long term inflow of 8,900 from the United Kingdom, down 15% on the previous year figure of 10,400.

There were also net inflows from India, 2,200, and Japan, 2,000.

Overall, net permanent and long-term inflow from Asia has reduced, from 19,100 in the February 2004 year to 7,800.

There was a net outflow to Australia of 16,300 in the year to February, compared with 10,600 in the previous February year.

Visitors up

The number of short-term visitors to New Zealand rose 5% to 250,100 in February on the same month a year earlier.

Seasonally adjusted visitor arrivals for the month were up less than 1% in February on the previous month, when they fell 3%.

There were a total of 2.37 million visitor arrivals for the year ended February, up 10% on the same period a year earlier.

The average length of stay fell to 21 days from 23 in February 2004.

John

[Jamie Smith]

Don't forget that there are many cases of old skilled migrant policy that are counted in this year, taking over many places that would be allocated to the EOI/ITA system in any other year.

Although the new policy is not providing sustainable long term results, the current situation is that the present year quota is being filled up, so points will rise.

Get your applcations in, I have been reliably informed that the points are about to go UP soon.

This is pretty pathetic as it will impact on next year when SMC policy is still not widely attractive and many applicants having gone over to Australia with their higher quotas (soon).

NZIS will then have to fight harder to attract migrants, with a yo-yo-ing points system that does not provide necessary stability to build confidence.

[MB]

Another notable thing about the NZIS announcement -- supporting the view that they are trying to signal, to 100 pointers, that an increase is coming -- is that technically speaking they surely didn't have to make such an annoucement at all. All their correspondence and SMC text is peppered by mentions that the selection point is subject to adjustment every (and, more to the point, any) fortnight.
I think they just realize that their having kept the point at 100 for so long is exceptional behavior that calls for somewhat special handling if it is about to change.

If I'm halfway right about all that, they're being pretty considerate by making that annoucement in advance even if it is (necessarily) a little vague at this stage. :nice1

Anyway, that's what's been nagging at me, I think. Just put me finger on it (ooh-er).

Cheers,
Matt.

[MB]

Just bringing this back up to the top because, this being the holiday weekend in the UK, I thought that quite a few new, pre-EOI-submission folks might be browsing the board and looking for discussion about any likely changes in the low selection point. :nice1

Cheers,
Matt.

[Juniper]

thanks for this thread! it's exactly what i was wondering about when i came to check the forum. i haven't gotten any paperwork in due to indecision, but you're right, there's not much to lose...