July 2012 News Archive

Archived Daily FX News from the TorFX Foreign Exchange Specialists...

UK collaboration important for Christchurch rebuild30 Jul at 9 AM

British firms are vital to the rebuilding of the earthquake ravaged city of Christchurch in New Zealand, according to the UK Minister of State for Trade and Investment. Lord Ian Livingstone recently visited the city to outline how collaboration between New Zealand and British businesses will be beneficial for both countries and keep the...

Migration to New Zealand higher than expected24 Jul at 6 AM

New Zealand’s central bank has warned that higher than expected inflows of migrants is putting pressure on the country’s economy. The number of new arrivals was at a decade high during June, according to Statistics New Zealand. The number of annual arrivals has topped 100,800 and the number of people leaving the country has dropped 22...

New Zealand will rely on immigration18 Jul at 5 AM

A new study suggests that population growth in New Zealand will be dependent on immigration with many people having multiple national identities. The Royal Society of New Zealand has studied data from sources including the 2013 Census. The study found that the country has a growing ageing population. Between 2006 and 2013 Auckland...

Immigration high on the agenda ahead of election10 Jul at 6 AM

Immigration has become one of the hot topics ahead of New Zealand’s general election in September. Parties are outlining their plans in a hope to attract voters. These include limiting investment in property as a way of encouraging immigrants to move to regional areas and restricting foreign visas. New Zealand’s strong economy has...

Incentives for immigrants moving to regional New Zealand3 Jul at 6 AM

Labour has outlined plans to adjust the immigration points system to encourage more immigrants to move to regional New Zealand. Trevor Mallard, the party’s immigration spokesman, said encouraging workers to move to areas where there are labour shortages would take some of the pressure off Auckland. He added that those who do move will...

Kiwi construction firms targeting British workers29 Jul at 9 AM

Skilled construction workers in Britain are being targeted by firms in New Zealand because of a shortage of local talent. There are currently thousands of jobs being created in cities like Auckland where large construction schemes including two highways, a city rail link and a second harbour crossing are underway. The New Zealand...

Kiwis strike better balance between work and life22 Jul at 9 AM

A recent survey shows that workers in New Zealand strike a better balance between work and life than those in most other countries. The work-life index study conducted by Regus gave New Zealand 127 point meaning the country is seven points ahead of the average and is ahead of countries including Germany, the USA and Australia. The study...

New Zealand parent reunion system unfair15 Jul at 9 AM

New Zealand First has accused the Kiwi government of favouring Chinese parents who use the skilled immigrant visa system to come and live with their children. According to Winston Peters, leader of New Zealand First, more than half of the parent reunion quota is being handed to Chinese immigrants. The rules say that parents are only...

Fewer Kiwis to move to Oz8 Jul at 9 AM

The number of New Zealander’s crossing the Tasman to find employment and set up a new home in Australia could soon begin to slow, according to Paul Hamer. The Victoria University researcher believes that over the last 40 years the number of Kiwis leaving for Australia has peaked every decade or so. Hamer explained that this usually...

Asylum seekers can now be detained for six months 1 Jul at 12 PM

Amnesty International has condemned the introduction of new legislation in New Zealand that will mean groups of asylum seekers can be detained for as long as six months. The Immigration Act has been updated to allow the authorities to detain groups of more than 30 asylum seekers for six months. Currently the law states that any asylum...

Labour calls for stricter New Zealand labour market tests30 Jul at 6 PM

Following the granting of work visas to 110 Chinese manual workers by Immigration New Zealand, Labour is calling for stricter controls on labour market testing. Darien Fenton, industrial relations spokeswoman for Labour, told the NZ parliament that INZ had granted the visas on the basis of there being no New Zealand nationals able to do...

Immigration New Zealand offers two new website tools 27 Jul at 6 PM

INZ has announced via a press release two new online tools aimed at helping New Zealand employers search for offshore talent in a more effective manner. The Skill Finder tool and the New Zealand Now web pages have been designed to assist prospective skill-shortage migrants make the move to NZ by linking them with New Zealand businesses...

Immigration New Zealand to consider more outsourcing 25 Jul at 6 PM

In spite of recent revelations about fake Chinese student visas and other rumours, INZ is seriously considering increasing its outsourcing or immigration applications. Last month’s revelations that 279 Chinese migrants had entered the country on fake student visas obtained at INZ’s Beijing office have resulted in several INZ staff...

New Zealand Immigration - New Zealand now a magnet for fraudulent Chinese students23 Jul at 6 PM

The discovery of a number of Chinese students who had arrived in NZ on fraudulent visas has revealed the country is becoming a hub for illegal Chinese migrants. A report by an Immigration New Zealand employees based in Beijing has caused alarm as it states the country is now a magnet for illegal arrivals under the student visa system. In...

Missing NZ overseas student found using false name20 Jul at 6 PM

A Chinese man who had entered New Zealand on a student visa and disappeared in 2005 has been traced and is awaiting deportation. The former overseas student had overstayed his student visa and went missing from Christchurch in May 2005 while he was experiencing financial difficulties. He was found living under an assumed name in Hawkes Bay...

New Zealand to deport students on fraudulent visas19 Jul at 6 PM

In a follow up to last week’s breaking news on fraudulent student visas, NZ immigration has announced five students are awaiting deportation. In a press release issued Tuesday, New Zealand Immigration announced that five students who had arrived with fraudulent visas issued in Beijing were now in custody and would be deported. Another 31...

NZ Immigration employees caught using database like dating website16 Jul at 6 PM

Staff at the New Zealand Immigration offices have been accused of unauthorised access to a confidential client database in order to compare would-be migrants’ finances and personal details. During the past year, immigration officers have been accessing confidential client details, identifying those sounding wealthy and interesting and...

New Zealand student visa fraud discovered via random sampling13 Jul at 6 PM

The random sampling of applications for student visas lodged at Immigration New Zealand’s Beijing branch has uncovered a student visa fraud. Head of NZ Immigration Steve Stuart told reporters that the fraud involved falsified bank statements and fake qualifications. He added that as many as 279 student visa applications had contained...

Wellington technological companies forced to hire from abroad 11 Jul at 6 PM

New Zealand tech companies located in Wellington are being forced to recruit overseas staff due to sparse local talent. Wellington’s IT sector is one of the region’s success stories, and a major employer of talented professionals in the field. However, companies are now being forced to search out staff in the overseas market as there...

Identity fraudsters enter New Zealand on fake Malaysian passports9 Jul at 6 PM

Fake Malaysian passports are being used by a growing number of foreigners to enter New Zealand illegally. Since July last year, eight people attempted to enter New Zealand using fake Malaysian passports, but were refused entry when the identity frauds were discovered. In May this year, three Chinese nationals in transit to South America...

Kiwi police admit social media sites are closed book 6 Jul at 6 PM

The New Zealand police have had to admit they can’t cope with social media after a wanted fugitive announced himself on Facebook. Michael Shane Hagger, wanted on three warrants, posted ‘Hoorah’ on the Facebook page of the Tauhara Paetiki Neighbourhood Policing Team after reading an appeal for information on his present whereabouts....

Immigration NZ fees hiked and Parent Category visas changed4 Jul at 6 PM

New Zealand Immigration has announced changes to both its visa fee structures and the requirements for Parent Category visas. The hike in immigration visa charges came into effect from 2 July, with an average increase of 16.7 per cent across the board. Immigration officials have stated the increase reflects the extra costs of processing...

Low home loan rates boost New Zealand property investment2 Jul at 6 PM

Low interest rates on home loans are boosting the popularity of property investment in New Zealand. A recent survey conducted by a leading NZ mortgage brokerage suggests that the present low mortgage interest rates are boosting the demand for residential property across the country. More than 55 per cent of respondents said the rates had...