A heart murmur that Harsinder Singh didn't know he had appears to have ruined his chances of New Zealand residency. He may need surgery in 10 to 20 years, so Immigration NZ policy says he doesn't qualify to stay in the country he loves. The 26-year-old, known as Harry, has life insurance and has offered to have any necessary surgery at home in India, where he says it will be less than a quarter of the cost. But Immigration NZ says that wouldn't be enforceable, and Singh is likely to "impose significant costs or demands on New Zealand's health services". After spending thousands on the visa application, unsuccessfully applying for a medical waiver and appealing Immigration NZ's decision, Singh isn't sure what to do next. He came to New Zealand to study hospitality management, and has worked at Theobroma Chocolate Lounge in Hamilton for about five years. That makes around seven years in New Zealand. "In that time I've paid almost $23,000 in tax to the New Zealand Government. Plus I have KiwiSaver - that's about eleven grand. And I have my own life insurance which is more than $100,000 and they cover critical illness as well," he said. "I don't want to leave this country. I love New Zealand." Work takes up most of his time but he fits in the occasional cricket game or drinks with mates. He says he enjoys snowboarding on Mt Ruapehu and exploring areas from Ninety Mile Beach to Te Puke. Medical checks before he came to New Zealand didn't pick up anything amiss, but one in 2013 revealed a heart murmur - an aortic valve abnormality. Surgery, which may be required, would cost more than the Immigration's $41,000 threshold, so he was denied residency. Singh first applied in October 2013, then tried unsuccessfully to get a medical waiver and to appeal through the Immigration and Protection Tribunal - whose decision came back in January 2016. He estimates the process cost him more than $10,000, and the outcome means he has to stay on a work visa. "They just ruined my life." "Only because of the small thing, they didn't give me residency," he said. "After 20 years, I'll already pay about $25,000 tax to the Government... I don't need surgery tomorrow." Immigration NZ said Singh's application was declined because his condition was likely to put a significant cost or demand on Kiwi health services. A person's health insurance or ability to pay for health services can't be taken into account in the decision, area manager Michael Carley said in a statement. "A medical waiver was considered, but was declined as it is likely he will require aortic valve surgery in the next 10-20 years," he said. "The cost of this surgery and ongoing monitoring of Mr Singh's condition is greater than the $41,000 threshold." Singh tried to find ways to make it work, including asking his doctor if he can have the valve-replacement surgery now. "He said, no, don't do that, it's not possible. At the moment I don't suffer any problems." He got quotes for the same operation in India – about $6500 – and said he'd sign a binding undertaking to go home for any required surgery. But Immigration said that wouldn't be enforceable, because he would be eligible for publicly-funded healthcare once he became a resident. Singh's boss Manu Malhotra said he was a hard worker and she'd love him to get residency. "If I'm not there for 15 to 20 days he's pretty fine [to run the business]," she said. "It's actually quite difficult for me to think of not having him because all the responsibilities will come over me and I really don't have anybody else who can take his place." Singh says he's left disappointed after his experience – and poorer. "I just followed the process, every single process. I didn't break any rules and regulations. I just follow but, at the end, I've still got nothing." Yes or no to residency? Residency applications approved and declined over the past five financial years Approved Declined failed medical Other declined Total 2010/11 40,737 217 7271 48,225 2011/12 40,448 194 7254 47,896 2012/13 38,961 109 6559 45,629 2013/14 44,008 101 7569 51,678 2014/15 43,085 116 7449 50,650 Source: Immigration NZ
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A selection of Expressions of Interest (EOI) under the Migrant Investment Category, Investor (Investor 2 category), took place on Thursday 29 June 2017. 1 EOI was selected from the EOI pool which claimed 85 points. The next draw will be on 13 July 2017. Immigration Trust has dealt with the Investor 2 category cases before and is currently processing cases. 1. The introduction of Salary Thresholds for skilled job offers.
2. Bonus points for a job offer more than the 2x median wage. 3. The shift toward Skilled Work Experience rather than relevant work experience. 4. Re-alignment of points for age to increase points for those aged between 30 to 39. 5. No changes to the target range for NZRP which means target no of immigration will remain the same. 6. Implementation is scheduled for 14 August. 7. 19 July's EOI selection is the last one before the change is implemented. The Skilled Migrant Category Expression of Interest selection took place at approximately 1.00pm NZ time on Wednesday 21 June, 2017.
The last date on which a selection of Expressions of Interest (EoIs) will occur from the current Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) pool is 19 July 2017. A revised SMC policy will be implemented on 14 August 2017. Advice will be provided in due course regarding the first selection from the SMC pool after this date. The number of people coming to visit or live in this country is continuing to reach new highs.
Official figures show annual net migration at 72,000 in the year to May. Three out of four of the migrants arriving were non-New Zealand citizens, especially from China, Britain and Australia. Many New Zealanders are also returning home. Migrant arrivals numbered 130,400 and 58,400 departed over the year. For the month of May, there was a net gain of 5900 people, which was slightly above the month before. A record 3.6 million tourists visited New Zealand in the year to May. Westpac senior economist Satish Ranchhod said he expected to see more of the same in the near-term. "New Zealand's economic conditions remain relatively positive." "Policy changes in Australia mean that the main destination for New Zealanders travelling abroad now looks less welcoming," he said. Mr Ranchhod said any immigration policy change here following September's general election could affect the outlook. New transitional policy under Investor 2 lets applicants choose which version of the policy to use22/6/2017 Recent changes to the Investor 2 Category allow people with applications or invitations to apply to choose whether they want to be assessed under the current or the previous version of the policy. The Investor Categories changed on 22 May 2017 to put in place incentives for applicants to invest more of their funds in growth investments. Changes have just been made to allow Investor 2 applicants and people who were invited to apply under the previous policy to choose whether they would like to be assessed under the version of the policy from before 22 May or the current version. Comparison of the current and previous policyEach person will need to consider whether the current or the previous policy is better for them given their individual circumstances. The advantage of being assessed under the current version of the policy is that visas can be granted with conditions allowing a greater degree of flexibility with regards to the time the person is required to spend in New Zealand, provided they invest a minimum of $750,000 in growth investments. However, the current version of the policy requires a minimum investment of $3 million, compared with the previous minimum investment of $1.5 million. The table sets out the differences between the requirements of two versions of the policy for current Investor 2 applicants and people who were invited to apply under the previous policy. Next steps Over the next two weeks.
Affected people and their representatives will be contacted by email and given instructions on what to do to indicate which version of the policy they would like to use. The email will be a further Invitation to Apply (ITA). People who have already applied will need to make a new application if they want to switch to a different policy, however the fee for further applications will be waived and the applicant will only need to provide the documents required to show the person meets the additional requirements of the new policy. More information for different groups of people who will be asked to choose between previous and current versions of Investor 2 Category People who had a valid invitation to apply on 22 May, but have not yet made an application You will be provided a further ITA that asks you to choose which version of the policy you would like to use in your application. In order to give you enough time to make the decision, the new ITA will expire one month after the date of your previous ITA. The ITA will include links to both the current and the previous version of the application form. When you make your application, you indicate your choice by using the relevant version of the application form. You will have to provide all the supporting documents required by either the previous or the current policy as indicated by the relevant form. People who made an application after 22 May 2017 but were originally invited to apply under the previous version of the policy You will be provided a further ITA that asks you to choose which version of the policy you would like to be assessed under. If you wish to be assessed under the current policy, you will have to complete the new version of the application form and send it to the Business Migration Branch. The new version of the form will be provided to you in the ITA. You do not have to pay an additional application fee or provide any documents that you have already provided. However, if your original documentation provided evidence of an investment amount less than the new minimum of $3million, you will be required to provide additional evidence for the difference. If you wish to be assessed under the previous policy, you will be provided the form you have already submitted and be required to sign and date it again, then send it back to the Business Migration Branch. You will not be required to provide a new fee or any additional documentation. Please note this further ITA will be valid for one month. People who made an application under the previous policy before 22 May 2017 and still have an application in process (including people who have been issued an approval in principle) You will be provided a new ITA inviting you to apply under the current policy. You will have one month to decide if you would like to continue under the previous policy or be considered under the current policy. If you wish to be assessed under the new policy, you will have to complete the new version of the application form and send it to the Business Migration Branch. The new version of the form will be provided to you in the ITA. You do not have to pay an additional application fee or provide any documents that you have already provided. However, if your original documentation provided evidence of an investment amount less than the new minimum of $3 million, you will be required to provide additional evidence of the difference. The new ITA will be valid for one month. If we don’t hear from you, your application will continue to be assessed under the previous version of the policy. Auckland woman faces 22 charges for providing illegal immigration advice in Pacific community15/6/2017 The Immigration Advisers Authority (IAA) has laid a total of 22 charges against an Auckland woman of Tongan nationality for illegally providing New Zealand immigration advice.
Maria ‘Ilaisaane Valu-Pome’e appeared in the Waitakere District Court yesterday following a thorough investigation by the IAA into her history of providing New Zealand immigration advice without holding a licence or exempt status. She has been remanded on bail until 6 July. Registrar of the IAA Catherine Albiston says the charges include four charges of providing immigration advice without a licence or exempt status while knowing she was required to be licensed, four charges of advertising herself as legally able to provide immigration advice, and four charges of receiving fees for the provision of immigration advice. In addition to charges under the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007, Mrs Valu-Pome’e also faces 10 charges under the Crimes Act 1961. “This case serves as a strong reminder the IAA will not tolerate those who provide unlawful New Zealand immigration advice,” warns Ms Albiston. “The IAA ran a campaign earlier this year to raise awareness amongst Pacific communities in New Zealand, as well as in Tonga, Samoa and Fiji, that unlawful immigration advice can cause significant stress and problems for visa applicants. Anyone seeking New Zealand immigration advice should use a licensed immigration adviser or someone who is exempt. A public register of all licensed advisers can be found on our website.” The IAA investigates all complaints made by the public about poor or unlicensed immigration advice. Individuals found breaking the law can face up to seven years in prison and a fine of up to NZD$100,000. “Anyone can talk to the IAA about their experience without their immigration status being affected,” adds Ms Albiston. More information on the IAA can be found at www.iaa.govt.nz. The government has restored Immigration New Zealand's power to deport resident immigrants, but with new conditions.
Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse stripped the agency of that authority in certain cases last month, saying his expectations were not being met. The agency had allowed an Afghan immigrant to remain in New Zealand, despite being twice convicted of sex crimes. Mr Woodhouse said he had met with immigration officials and believed they made good decisions in general. But he said they would have to notify his office if they intended to let someone stay in the country after being convicted of a serious or sexual assault. Mr Woodhouse would also meet with officials every three months now to discuss their approach to such cases. New Zealand Government is proposing some changes to Essential Skills Work Visas. The changes include: The introduction of remuneration bands to determine the skill level of an Essential Skills visa holder, which would align with the remuneration thresholds being introduced for Skilled Migrant Category applicants The introduction of a maximum duration of three years for lower-skilled and lower-paid Essential Skills visa holders, after which a minimum stand-down period will apply before they are eligible for another lower-skilled temporary work visa. Aligning the ability of Essential Skills visa holders to bring their children and partners to New Zealand with the new skill levels. Exploring which occupations have a seasonal nature and ensuring that the length of the visa aligns with peak labour demand. Public consultation on the changes to temporary migration settings closes on 21 May, with implementation planned for later this year. Today, 19th April 2017, Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse announced changes to Skill Migrant Category (SMC). Two remuneration thresholds are being introduced for applicants applying for residence under the SMC. Two remuneration thresholds. The same number of points will be awarded for both an offer of skilled employment and current skilled employment in New Zealand. Remuneration thresholds are being introduced as an additional means of defining skilled employment. One will be set at the New Zealand median income of $48,859 a year for jobs that are currently considered skilled. Applicants with jobs at ANZSCO skill levels 1, 2 and 3 will only be awarded points for their employment if they are paid at or above NZ$48,859 per year (or NZ$23.49 per hour). The other threshold will be set at 1.5 times the New Zealand median income of $73,299 a year for jobs that are not currently considered skilled but are well paid. Applicants with jobs that are not in ANZSCO skill level 1, 2 or 3 occupations may be assessed as being in skilled employment if they are paid at or above NZ$73,299 per year (or NZ$35.24 per hour). Bonus points will be awarded for remuneration at or above NZ$97,718.00 per year (or NZ$46.98 per hour). Remuneration thresholds will be updated annually based on New Zealand income data. The automatic selection mark for applicants under the SMC was increased from 140 points to 160 in October last year, and the Government has now realigned the points system to put more emphasis on characteristics associated with better outcomes for migrants. More points will be available for skilled work experience and some recognised post graduate qualifications, and points for age will increase for applicants aged 30-39. Points will NO longer be available for qualifications in areas of absolute skills shortage, for employment, work experience and qualifications in Identified Future Growth Areas and close family in New Zealand. Work experience More points will be available for work experience. Points will be awarded for skilled work experience in ANZSCO skill level 1, 2 and 3 occupations. Points will be awarded for skilled New Zealand work experience of 12 months or more. There will be no additional points for work experience of two years or more. Qualifications, age and partner’s qualifications, Points available for recognised level 9 or 10 post-graduate qualifications (Master’s degrees and Doctorates) will increase. Points for people aged 30 – 39 years will increase. Partner’s qualifications will only be awarded points if they are a recognised Bachelor’s level degree or higher or a recognised post-graduate (level 9 or higher) qualification. Points for the following factors will be removed
There are NO changes to the health, character or English language requirements. Note: More detailed information will be available in June 2017. The changes will be implemented in mid-August 2017. |