#timeline for NZ immigration

[icl-immigration]

New Zealand Visa Processing Times - NZ Immigration

Navigating the visa application process can be complex and time-consuming, especially when dealing with varying processing times and requirements. However, you can take control of your application journey by understanding the process and the factors that influence it. Immigration New Zealand (INZ) oversees the issuance of various visas, including visitor visas, student visas, work visas, resident visas, and partnership visas. Each visa type has its processing timeline, influenced by factors such as INZ's workload, the provided information's accuracy, the documentation's completeness, and whether a sponsor is involved. Understanding these timelines and the steps involved in the application process is crucial for applicants to set realistic expectations and prepare adequately.Visa Processing TimesBelow are the processing times for various visa types, each linking to more detailed information:Visitor Visa and NZeTA Processing Times Student Visa Processing Times Work Visa and Employer Accreditation Processing Times Resident Visa Processing Times Partnership Visa Processing Times Working Holiday Visa Processing Times Factors Affecting Visa Processing Times - Step 1: Lodgement  - Applications can be submitted to Immigration New Zealand by mail or through the immigration website, but online submission is the preferred method. - Step 2: Documentation -  A documentation officer conducts an initial check to ensure all necessary documents have been submitted. If an incomplete application is submitted in paper form, INZ may return it as a 'Failed Lodgement'. - Step 3: Queue -  Applications are placed in a queue awaiting assignment to an immigration officer, which may take several weeks or months, depending on the application. - Step 4: Assessment - Once assigned, an immigration officer will perform an initial assessment, possibly requesting additional information, clarification, or addressing concerns. - Step 5: Decision  - The process is complete if the application is approved. If declined, follow-up procedures may be necessary. - New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) : 72 hours - Visitor Visa: 3 weeks - Partner of a New Zealander Visitor Visa: 3 months - Business Visitor Visa: 2 weeks - Fee Paying Student Visa: 8 weeks - Dependent Child Student Visa: 9 weeks - MFAT-funded NZ Scholarship Student Visa: 5 weeks - Exchange Student Visa: 2 weeks - Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV): 7 weeks - Employer Accreditations for AEWV: 9 weeks - Job Checks: 9 weeks - Partner of a Worker Work Visa: 6 months Parent Resident Visa: 8 months Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa (New criteria): 5 months Straight to Residence Visa: 3 months Work to Residence Visa: 4 months Permanent Resident Visa: 1 weekPartnership Visa Processing Times   Partnership visas, such as the Partner of a New Zealander Work Visa, typically take around 10 weeks for 80% of applications, while the Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa generally takes about 8 months. The Partner of a Student Visitor Visa is processed in approximately 10 weeks, and the Child of a Student Visitor Visa takes around 8 weeks. - Partner of a New Zealander Work Visa: 10 weeks   - Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa: 8 months   - Partner of a Student Visitor Visa: 10 weeks   - Child of a Student Visitor Visa: 8 weeks  Working Holiday Visa Processing Times   The Working Holiday Visa usually takes about 5 weeks for 80% of applications. It allows young people from eligible countries to work and travel in New Zealand for up to 12 months.Factors Affecting Visa Processing Times  Understanding what can slow down your visa application and how you can help minimize delays is essential.Common Factors  Incomplete Applications: Ensure all required evidence is included, and there are no mistakes or typos. Complex Applications: Applications involving medical issues, character concerns, or extensive travel histories may take longer. Sponsor Involvement: If your application is sponsored, ensure your sponsor completes any required forms promptly. Peak Seasons: Visitor visas peak from October to February, and student visas peak from November to March, potentially slowing down processing times. Log in to your Immigration Online account to check your visa status. Check for emails from Immigration New Zealand requesting additional information, including your junk and spam folders. Provide all required documents in the correct format and ensure they are up to date. Avoid submitting unnecessary evidence that could slow down processing. For online applications, submit a photo of your passport instead of the original document.Conclusion  Applying for a visa to New Zealand involves navigating a structured process that varies by visa type. This process is designed to ensure the thoroughness and accuracy of each application, giving you the confidence that your application is being handled with care. Processing times are influenced by several factors, including peak seasons, the accuracy and completeness of information provided, and whether a sponsor is involved. By understanding these factors and taking proactive steps, you can help expedite the process. By ensuring all documentation is thorough and accurately submitted, applicants can improve their chances of a smooth and timely visa approval, enabling them to enjoy the opportunities that New Zealand has to offer. Staying informed and prepared is critical to a successful visa application experience.Referencehttps://www.immigration.govt.nz/  Read the full article

[nebt-adventures]

The timeline so far

3 months in...

SG 16 November 2019 - WHV approved but couldn’t make it to NZ in July 2020 due to Covid

14 March 2022 - Received an updated visa via email from NZ Immigration which expires in 6 months' time

4 June 2022 - Bought NZ Air air tickets to Auckland one way for SGD 995 per pax

28 July 2022 - Resigned from my job and served 1 month’s notice

23 August 2022 - Last day of work

24 August 2022 - Flight day to Auckland, New Zealand

NZ 24 August 2022 - Took SuperShuttle to Haka Lodge and stayed there for a week

30 August 2022 - 12 days at Mangawhai, Damien and Sue's farm (WWOOF) with Ben, Aliif, and Sarah and we met Anna, Elisa, Lilian and Amy there. The first two are Germans, French and British respectively.

10 September 2022 - 2 nights at Whagarei, Airbnb Boathouse

12 September 2022 - Moved into Dargaville Walden Farms' (Trevor and Stuart) accommodation and stayed for 1 month 1 week

19 September 2022 - Kumara work starts and we worked for about 1 month at Walden Farms

16 October 2022 - Leave Walden Farms and move into Phil Greig Strawberry Gardens' (Lianne and Phil) powerless cabin accommodation

17 October 2022 - Strawberry work starts and worked for 1 week with 1 rest day

23 October 2022 - Shing's place in Auckland for 3 nights (thank you again!)

26 October 2022 - 1 week at Hamilton, Joy’s place (WWOOF)

2 November 2022 - 2 weeks at Waoto, Sam and Pauline's Dairy Farm (WWOOF)

16 November 2022 - 2 nights at Waihi, Airbnb Kristen

18 November 2022 - 2 nights at Whagamata Motor Camp

We wanted to travel up to Coromandel but due to the bad weather we will do it next summer

20 November 2022 - 2 nights at Papamoa, Airbnb Brooke

22 November 2022 - 2 nights at Rotorua, Airbnb (Manita and Edwin)

24 November 2022 (current) - Ōpōtiki Kiwi Farm (Lloyd’s accommodation with G&S contracting)

Extra info Prior to flying, we've created Wise NZ Bank Account to apply and succesfully gotten our IRD numbers. We also applied for ANZ Bank GO Account online and MyIR account.

In NZ We verified and opened our ANZ Bank GO Account successfully at the physical bank which you have to have an appointment booked prior. We added an additional account at the counter which is the "Serious Saver" account. It has a higher interest rate if you don't use/withdraw the money. We also verified MyIR via an automated phone call.

Money

Converted cash on https://fx.changirecommends.com and collected at the airport , 1528.62SGD to 1750NZD, rates 1SGD - 1.144820NZD 

Ben changed his money with a Singaporean guy residing in Auckland using the Google rates which were still shit but better than anywhere else. I think it was 1.15nzd to 1sgd.

We also converted SGD to NZD using the WISE app and one shot transferred to our ANZ bank account. Note that there is a one-time transfer fee at a fixed rate.

You can use Youtrip because it has the best rate out of all but the only downside is that you can’t withdraw it from your Youtrip account.  Health Insurance I got my health Insurance at 851.76 NZD from http://www.healthandtravel.co.nz/ which you should consider if Orbit rejects your application.

Ben got his insurance from Orbit - Working Holiday Visa Insurance at 393.3 NZD.

[lindoig5]

Saturday/Sunday    Days 30 & 31  The final dash for Lyttleton and Christchurch

Saturday - at sea     They promised us a calm voyage up the west coast of NZ to Lyttleton: the port of Christchurch.  Well, they got that one wrong(!!!) and we were buffeted around almost all the way from The Snares to the port.  It was the last day (and two nights) of the expedition and it was all at sea.  There was a lot of administrative tasks to fill the day, with packing and preparing for land, paying shipboard accounts, returning borrowed gumboots and life jackets and so on.

They had a really great final recap session in the afternoon with a comprehensive review of our voyage and answers to many more questions. Dan had produced a wonderful 27-minute video featuring most of the highlights of the trip and they premiered that during the session.  (We were all given a copy of it, along with a timeline and some great maps of our voyage, on a USB stick when we left the ship.)  He is a great photographer and the whole video is a truly brilliant reminder of so many aspects of the trip.  It is also a great way for us to show people what the trip was like in quite a condensed and very visual format. We have shown it to some of our kids and the trouble is that as it plays, we keep wanting to pause it to elaborate or explain the experience, or add something of our personal touches to it.

There were also lots of thank you speeches – for each member of the staff, the Russian crew, even for us expeditioners.  A particular highlight was a thank you to David Harrowfield, the historian who was retiring from guiding after 51 trips to the Antarctic.  The whole wind-up session was all very emotional for most people.  We had all contributed donations that we gave to David to pass on to the Antarctic Heritage Trust that works on the historic restoration projects down there.

Sunday  Christchurch      The ship found a relatively calm anchorage overnight, but set off again quite early today so we arrived in Lyttleton as soon as the pilot could get us into the port.  Then it was getting our passports stamped by Immigration and a sign-off by Customs, lots more ‘thank yous’ and a few emotional farewells to staff and numerous passengers and eventually onto the bus to take us for a surprisingly long trip into the Christchurch city centre where quite a few alighted. We stayed on the bus with quite a few others who were heading to the airport (another fair distance) for flights later in the day.

At the airport, we collected our bags from the bus and trekked the 50 metres across the carpark to the Novotel where we were staying overnight.  Fortunately, despite the early hour, we were able to get straight into our very comfortable room and enjoyed a leisurely cuppa and a sit down before even opening our bags.  We did a minimum of organisation and set off to walk to the International Antarctic Centre half a kilometre away.  (The Novotel is in a great location.  We had been dropped virtually at the door, the Antarctic Centre that we really wanted to see was an easy walk away, and the airport check-in was only a hundred metres or so in the opposite direction.)

The Antarctic Centre is quite fabulous with lots of history and natural history exhibits, and hands-on experiences enough to fill in several hours.  There is a penguin display where several rescued Little Penguins (aka Fairy or Blue Penguins) and New Zealand’s White-flippered Penguins were being fed.  They have a realistic ‘Antarctic Experience’ a few times a day where tourists can get rigged out (much as we were in the wild) and enter a big room at -18 degrees with snow and gale-force winds, etc.  You have to pay extra to do that and having just spent days doing it in real life, we elected not to participate in that one.  There is also an area where you can get smashed about as if in a ship in a storm, but again, we had the bruises to prove we didn’t need to do that again.

It is an outstanding museum, crammed full of memorabilia, exhibits, information boards and hands-on devices and we enjoyed it immensely.  Definitely worth visiting if you are ever near Christchurch.  We had a pie (had been hanging out for some really good food!!) in a poorly-serviced dining area then returned to the display area to explore a bit further and watch a couple of excellent videos. There was a massive screen showing a 17-minute loop of life in Antarctica and another much longer one about a year at the McMurdo Base.  It ran for well over an hour and was very US-centric, but we watched it all and it was excellent.

Back in our room, we relaxed for a while and took advantage of the free Wi-fi and fired off a few quick emails, mainly to the family. I had nearly 700 waiting for me – fortunately mostly spam but I still had to look through them to retrieve the kosher ones that had been placed in the spam folder in error.  We had heard about the crazy panic buying of toilet paper in Australia so we slipped one roll from the hotel into our baggage in case we arrived home to find our apartment burgled and all our rolls stolen.  This was just before the world finally imploded completely: an event that our return to Australia seems to have precipitated. Madness!

We had booked an early meal in the Novotel restaurant and it was excellent – much better than anything we had on the ship with the possible exception of one excellent Sunday roast dinner.  Then an early night with the alarm set for 3am – that is not yet another typo – it really was 3am.

[breaksandbites]

Ever since I posted Facebook check in regarding our migration to New Zealand, I have been getting lots of queries about how did we apply for the immigration? what is the process? Is moving to New Zealand better than living in UAE? How it is different from Australian and Canadian Immigration? etc etc

Looking at the number of questions and interest I decided to write about our experience. But before digging more into the process and details I want to throw some disclaimers:

This is NOT the only way you can apply for NZ immigration

We started the process in 2015 and the policy is now updated a bit, I’ll try to highlight the points which are now changed (according to my information)

Every case is different! Things that worked out for us might not work for you 

WHY NEW ZEALAND?

Let’s rewind our lives to 2015 and play…

We were exploring a couple of options like Canada and Australia (apart from where we are) to apply but the arrow landed at New Zealand in the map eventually.

The quota of Canada was full by the time we thought to submit our application (Common idea is that the job market has saturated over there). Confused between OZ and NZ, we chose NZ main reason being HI’s best friend was already there.

Please note that we were applying just to keep an option open apart from UAE (where we already were at that time). I longed to visit this beautiful country once but this definitely was not the reason to choose New Zealand over all other options.

At this point, you may want to check out Australia’s process as well because it has much bigger market as compared to NZ.

OUR CONDITIONS

We applied family visa under Skilled Migrant Category, HI being the primary applicant (Read about this type of visa here)

We did NOT hire any consultant

We also claimed MY points to guarantee selection of application

Find out whether your skills are needed in New Zealand not in the Skill Shortage List Checker or download the complete lists from the same link.

THE PROCESS

If your occupation is listed in the Skill Shortage List then:

Calculate your points using the Points Calculator at this link.

Apply for your PAR (Pre Assessment Result) Online from NZQA . Side by side, create your account at Immigration New Zealand website and start filling out your Expression of Interest (EOI).

Submit EOI online – Enter the code received as a result of successful PAR in EOI. There is a fee.

Wait for EOI to get selected.

Note: Minimum points requirement is 100 but in order to guarantee selection of your EOI you need a score of 160 (as per last policy change). P.S. The policy keeps on changing

On receipt of notification that it has been selected, wait for preliminary checking to be done. (Start collecting your documents at this time. See FAQs below for examples of documents)

Wait for ITA (Invitation To Apply).

If you get ITA;

Send your degrees to NZQA for full qualification assessment. You’ll need to send your original educational and work related experiences documents to NZQA.

Carry out the Medical process.

Submit formal application within 4 months of ITA (or the last date will be mentioned in the email you will receive). This includes providing all the necessary evidence to back up the points claimed on your EOI. Results of full IQA assessment of qualifications from NZQA, Police checks, Medicals, Proof of relationship etc etc. Pay the fee.

Wait for immigration to assign your application a case officer.

Wait for your application to be processed and answer any questions your case officer asks.

Wait for immigration interview appointment. Usually done after approval of IQA on phone and only if you don’t have a job offer.

Case Officer passes your application to another case officer for audit checking.

You will then receive formal notification of the outcome – the case officers decision. (Either you get a resident visa or job search visa. Keep in mind that your application may get rejected too)

If successful, send in your passports for the residency stickers. Pay the final Migrant levy fee.

On receipt of your passport returned with visas you have 12 months to activate by travelling to NZ. (the duration to make the last entry may be different in some cases)

Attaching ITA Documentation Checklist below (Note: this was customized checklist for our application, yours can be slightly different).

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TIME

The timeline I am able to deduce based on our experience is as follows:

PAR results from NZQA – within a week 

EOI process – 1 to 3 months

ITA email is received – after a couple of weeks once the EOI is accepted

Time to submit ITA – usually 4 months

Time after ITA till final outcome – atleast 7 months

Time to make entry – 12 months to make first entry, after that your visa becomes valid for 2 more years (We visited NZ in December 2016 as a result of which Trip Of Lifetime series started on the blog, check out some beautiful places to visit in South New Zealand here)

This is NOT a definite/ constant time period rather the total time our end to end process took, yours may take a little more or may be less.

MONEY

I don’t remember how much fees we paid at each step but the whole end to end process may cost you around AED 12,000 – AED 15,000.

  FAQs

Answering some of the common questions I am usually asked these days:

Is NZ Immigration better than others?

The reasons that led us to choose NZ are stated above, I have no idea about how it may or may not be different/ beneficial as compared to the other countries’ immigration. New Zealand is heaven on earth ❤ and apparently the 4th most safest country to live in 😀 (this might help you with the choice 🙂 )

How is moving to New Zealand better than living in UAE?

Well I like, no LOVE UAE. there are loads of advantages of living in UAE.

It is a Muslim state (Being a Muslim I’d say that this is one of the best part)

The food is amazing (everything is halal and available 24×7)

Closer to home (Pakistan)

Tax-free luxurious life

But apart from all the countless pluses, you never get citizenship hence the irony. You will have to leave your home as soon as you lose your job. Living in constant fear of leaving the place which you call your home is scary at times. Sometimes we have to take difficult decisions for better future 🙂

How is the weather there?

The climatic conditions of New Zealand are the opposite of those in the Northern Hemisphere. Typically December to February is summer; March to May is autumn; June to August is winter; and September to November is spring. Also, Wellington is super windy. So we are experiencing windy-rainy-cold days these days.

Did you hire a consultant?

No, HI himself is a consultant (not immigration one though) hence he was appalled at the thought of hiring one. Lol :p Also, the process is pretty easy and straight forward. And the internet is full of helpful articles which is our day-to-day FREE consultant by all means.

From where did you apply?

We applied from UAE

How did you get 160 points?

You can always check out INZ (website for NZ Immigration) for more insights and detailed understanding. The limit was 140 points at the time we applied. Scoring 160 points is very difficult unless you have a job offer from NZ but there is a likelihood that they will update and lax the policy pretty soon – a ray of hope :). I will update here, snap about it and will also share it on my Instagram stories as soon as I’ll come to know about it.

Since minimum points requirement is 100, should I apply even if my points score is below 160?

 Surely the minimum points requirement is 100 but in order to guarantee selection of your EOI you need a score of 160 (as per last policy change). Any less selection is unlikely.

What documents should we collect to submit with ITA?

The supporting documents you will be required to submit with ITA may include:

English marriage certificates

Police clearance certificate (from every location you have lived so far – like in our case we had to collect these certificates from Karachi and UAE)

Spouses should have joint bank account (for verification that you are husband and wife and living together) – We did not have any so we had to prove our relationship through pictures, rental contracts etc etc

Some letters, Envelopes of mails on your address with your name (Aramex, DHL , Pakistan post any couriers)

From where should I get my medical done?

We went to Pakistan to carry out our medical process since it was very much cheaper as compared to UAE. The total cost of going to Pakistan and the entire medical process was less than it would have costed us in UAE. You can also consider going to Turkey for the cause 😉 (it is cheap there as well)

From where should the documents be attested?

Get your documents attested from HEC and MOFA (Ministry Of Foreign Affairs)

How does claiming spouse’s points works and how it is useful?

Spouse’s points can be claimed in order to get the desired score if primary applicant’s point are insufficient to get 160 (as per latest policy change), the spouse then will have to fulfill all the requirements as of the primary applicant. (IELTS score, NZQA assessment result etc etc)

Some Interview Tips please?

Do your homework about the country – they’d like you to have some information about it

Boast about your skill (the one which you are applying in)

Be confident

These were the FAQs I was bombarded with time and again. However, you can read about general kinda queries related to skilled migrant category here.

This was it from my side about our Immigration tales. Hope you all find it informative and easy. If you have queries about the article drop your questions in the comments section below, I will try to help within my reach and limit. And you can always visit INZ to explore more visa options 🙂

All the best to the ones who are thinking/trying to apply or already have applied.

See you soon here 🙂

New Zealand Immigration – Our Story! Ever since I posted Facebook check in regarding our migration to New Zealand, I have been getting lots of queries about

[theculturedmarxist]

Monday’s episode of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s “Four Corners” program, “The Christchurch Massacre and the Rise of Right-wing Extremism,” raised serious unanswered questions about how fascist and white supremacist Brenton Tarrant was able to carry out his terrorist attack on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand.

On March 15, Tarrant, an Australian citizen, killed 50 people and injured 50 more using a semi-automatic rifle. He had spent at least two years planning the massacre in the small city of Dunedin, south of Christchurch, where he trained at a nearby rifle club, wrote his 74-page manifesto and communicated with fascists internationally, including on extreme right message boards on the 8chan website.

The attack has provoked widespread shock and anger in New Zealand, Australia and internationally. At vigils and rallies, many people have demanded to know how it could have happened. The state, however, has sought to severely restrict discussion of the most crucial questions, including the political roots of the massacre. In New Zealand, the censor’s office banned possession and distribution of Tarrant’s fascist manifesto, which outlines the gunman’s political motives and influences—including US President Donald Trump—and connections with extreme right-wing circles internationally.

Canberra and Wellington have refused to explain why the state did not prevent Tarrant’s attack despite his many public statements voicing hatred of immigrants, Muslims and socialists, including threats of violence. The New Zealand police and government insist that Tarrant flew “under the radar” and acted alone, despite his claims that he interacted with many extreme nationalist groups and had received a “blessing” for his attack from Norwegian far-right terrorist Anders Behring Breivik.

“Four Corners” reporter Sean Rubinsztein-Dunlop posed the question: “How did [Tarrant] manage to fly completely under the radar while planning a mass murder?” His report suggested that police and intelligence agencies had “underestimated” the threat of white supremacist attacks because they were focused on Islamic extremism; and that they are “drastically underfunded.”

Neither of these explanations stands up to scrutiny. As the “Four Corners” program itself noted, there have been numerous warnings about far-right extremism in Australia and New Zealand, and Christchurch has for decades been known as a centre of neo-Nazi activity.

There have been numerous acts of harassment, intimidation and threats against the city’s Muslim community, including the Al-Noor mosque targeted by Tarrant. In 2016 neo-Nazi Philip Arps was fined $800 for delivering a box of pigs’ heads to the mosque. Police have not explained why they did nothing to protect the mosque following this very clear threat.

Another 18-year-old man, who has not been publicly identified, has been charged with posting threats against the mosque on Facebook days before the massacre. Again, there has been no explanation of why police took no action until after the shooting.

For years, Tarrant posted comments on Facebook praising the fascist and anti-Islamic United Patriots Front in Australia and threatening to kill “Marxists and globalists.” Two days before his attack, “Four Corners” noted, the terrorist “flooded Facebook with posts on extreme right-wing themes… [and] posted photos on Twitter of guns and magazines covered with symbols of his fascist ideology.” None of this triggered any intervention by police.

The timeline of the day of the massacre raises an even more disturbing question: Why was Tarrant not stopped even after he publicly revealed his exact plans?

At midday, he posted links to his manifesto, which clearly identifies his targets, on Facebook. At 1:28 p.m. he shared the document on 8chan along with a message saying he would carry out an “attack against the invaders,” and links to a livestream video. Three minutes later he emailed his manifesto to 70 email addresses, including the prime minister’s office and media organisations. He began live-streaming while driving carefully to the first of two mosques. Tarrant was clearly not worried about being intercepted: his gun is visible in the car and his GPS navigation system can be clearly heard directing him to the first of two mosques. The attack began at 1:40 p.m.

As Robert Evans, an analyst from the Bellingcat think tank, told “Four Corners”, anyone monitoring the neo-Nazi forum would have seen Tarrant’s message and video and “could have reached out to law enforcement in New Zealand and warned them about what was going to happen and cut down the response time before armed police units arrived to intercept them, significantly.”

Instead, the gunman was able to carry out his attack calmly, at one point leaving the mosque, walking casually outside, then returning to shoot any injured people. A total of 41 people died at Al Noor mosque. Tarrant’s video ended after 17 minutes, while he was driving to the smaller Linwood mosque where he continued his killing spree. Tarrant was arrested 36 minutes after the first emergency call was made to police as the attack began, while on his way to a third mosque in Ashburton.

Evans described 8chan as “a 24-hour Klan or neo-Nazi rally where every now and then someone will leave in order to commit a violent attack.” The obvious question, which has not been raised in the media, is: were any of the millions of police and spies in New Zealand, Australia, the US, Europe and elsewhere monitoring the well-known far-right forum? And, if so, why did they apparently do nothing to stop the attack?

Neil Fergus, an analyst from the think tank Intelligent Risks, told “Four Corners” that the gunman’s social media posts should have sounded alarms, but New Zealand’s spy agencies were “not particularly well-served in terms of resources.”

This claim is utterly false. Like previous terrorist attacks internationally, including the September 11, 2001 attack in the US, the Christchurch atrocity is already being used to demand even more anti-democratic powers for New Zealand’s Security Intelligence Service (SIS), Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) and the police. These agencies have received a vast increase in funding, personnel and technical capability over the past two decades. Legal restrictions on their ability to spy on the population are practically non-existent.

Security analyst Paul Buchanan told Radio NZ that in 2017, the year Tarrant moved to New Zealand, police conducted 7,000 warrantless searches, an extraordinary number for a country with fewer than five million people. The GCSB and SIS also have the power to conduct electronic surveillance of anyone in New Zealand under legislation pushed through in 2014, ostensibly aimed at combating terrorism.

The GCSB is part of the Five Eyes network, led by the US National Security Agency, which also includes the spy agencies of Australia, Britain and Canada. As whistleblower Edward Snowden revealed, the NSA and its partners spy on billions of communications all over the world and share information with each other.

There is no innocent explanation for the fact that these agencies, with multi-billion dollar budgets and vast powers and capabilities, failed to monitor Tarrant. The gunman travelled to several countries in Europe, as well as Pakistan, North Korea and, according to some reports, Afghanistan, countries that are under heavy surveillance.

Evans told “Four Corners” that if the gunman had registered as a firearms owner and was commenting on radical Islamic Facebook pages advocating holy war, “I think the governments of New Zealand and... Australia would absolutely have been looking into this person before the shooting.”

While Muslims, environmental groups, pacifist groups and others have been under heavy surveillance, the fascist networks in New Zealand and Australia have been allowed to operate without interference from the state.

The explanation for this is political: the anti-Marxism expressed by Tarrant and the fascist tendencies that inspired him are shared by the political establishment and the state. In his manifesto, Tarrant estimates that hundreds of thousands of members of the police and armed forces in Europe are members of far-right nationalist groups, a statement which raises questions about whether Tarrant had any contact with state agencies.

The main function of the spy agencies and the police over the past century has been to prevent the growth of a socialist movement in the working class. There are countless examples of police infiltration of socialist and leftist groups in the US, Australia and New Zealand, dating back to before the Russian Revolution.

The Christchurch attacks took place in a definite political context of economic breakdown, trade war and growing preparations for war by the US and its allies. Trump, in his violent rants against socialism, expresses openly the fears of the ruling class everywhere, which has been shaken by the upsurge in class struggle over the past year.

The political establishment has increasingly adopted the anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim demagogy of the extreme right in order to divide the working class. Parties such as Australia’s One Nation and New Zealand First, which is a major part of the Labour-led government, have expressed racist and xenophobic views similar to those in Tarrant’s manifesto.

The attack in Christchurch must be taken as a sharp warning of the forces that are being prepared to be used against the working class. Workers and young people internationally must make their own political preparations by building a socialist movement to put an end to the capitalist system and its division of the world into nation-states, which is the source of nationalism, racism and war.

[thetravelling1]

T+5: A Good Day

I often say that you should start as you mean to go on, which is why at 9am this morning I was just about entering the shower. Not the most auspicious start to the day of high productivity and progress, but as it turned out I achieved a fair bit more than I was expecting!

Rough timeline:

9:30 - Check out of Motel, head to bus towards my AirBNB

10:40 - Arrive at my AirBNB. It’s not a great place (the lack of shower curtain is the biggest cause for worry, followed by Wifi apparently not quite extending all the way into the room!), but it’s cheap and seems quiet etc, the bed is solid enough and what more do I really need?

11:00 - Do some research including a phone call to the NZQA where they confirm that as long as it’s a BA from a UK university, they are happy to call it legit without further research. That’s a relief, but there’s still an open question about whether the specific degree I’ve got (AI/Philosophy) counts as a qualification to be a Software Developer

11:30 - Walk into town. The cloud cover clears, revealing lovely blue skies and a  warm sun. One of my favourite climates is warm sun on my back and crisp air every breath, and the hour long walk is a nice bit of exercise.

12:30 - Stop for lunch at the Container Mall. In the aftermath of the earthquakes, Containers became a bit of a thing for Christchurch, and even though there’s a lot of building work going on, I sense they’ve taken the low-key life to heart.

1:00 - Visit a bank and try to open an account. They tell me that I need a work visa to open an account.

1:05 - Visit another bank and try to open an account. They tell me that I need a work visa and a job to open an account. They also say that “other” banks “nearby” might not have the same rules.

1:10 - Go next door to a third bank and try to open an account. They give me an appointment for 3pm the following day.

1:30 - Visit Immigration NZ, who give me a number to call about whether my degree counts. Call the number, they say I need to check the ANZSCO website.

1:45 - Go to a coffee shop for a Chai Latte and the free Wifi, and check the ANZSCO website. It’s a list of all the possible occupations with codes attached. After perusing it further, I conclude I must have explained my question wrongly and resolve to phone them back. 

2:15 - Check out the TradeMe website (the NZ equivalent of eBay) and get baffled by Motor options. Confirm I can/should buy a car here.

2:30 - Also join some Meetup Groups and try to find social things to do in the evenings. Succeed, including joining a group with a pub quiz on today!

3:00 - Go to my Recruitment Consultants, and have the first face-to-face meeting with Heidi, the most useful of the recruiters I’ve met so far by a long way. Talk about my experience, my priorities, and then my options. She knows of a few other RPG employers and will be talking to them, but also asked me to optimise my CV for more science/maths roles. She seems optimistic about my chances, and I walk out feeling good about my odds for the first time since last week’s rug-pull.

3:30 - Go hunting for a laptop adaptor. I decided not to just get a UK-NZ plug converter, as that feels like a temporary bodge. Instead, I get a brand new kettle-style lead that means I can plug straight into NZ sockets. It’s a little thing, but I call it a victory.

4:00 - Realise that the place I got the adaptor from was the place that Janelle and I got Mark’s card back in March, and my phone connected automatically to the wi-fi, so that must be fate! Grab a drink, a box of cereal bars and some fruity bagels from the local supermarket, and leech off their wifi, this time signing up to TradeMe. I’m TheTravelling1 on there too... Still get confused by how to buy a car safely within an auction format, but resolve to work it out within the next fortnight.

5:40 - Bus over to the Quiz Night, order myself Fish and Chips with a cider on the side and settle in.

6:30 - The first meetup person, Annette, turns up and we have a bit of a chat. She’s a scientist, also from the UK and also has emigrated to NZ (although just recently back from a year or two in Asia, as you do). She studies climate change, and how primary industries will be affected in 50-100 years. I imagine it’s quite a sobering occupation, but she is upbeat and fun all evening.

7:00 - We find the rest of the group and the quiz begins. We meet a bunch of NZ locals, including Marty, Julie, Rachel, Carol and Manish. Everybody’s really friendly, and welcoming to newbies. I do my bit, offering helpful info where possible but overthinking the movie round and talking us out of a few right answers. We come 3rd overall but more importantly, we all had fun I think.

From a social networking point of view, I manage to give away three contact cards - one because Julie said she might know someone who’s looking for software developers, one because Marty said he had a car I might be interested in, and one because I got on with Annette so well. Marty even generously offered me a lift home, which made that part of the evening much more painless!

So yes, everything feels like it’s pointed in the right direction, and as long as I start ACTUALLY APPLYING FOR ACTUAL JOBS in the near future, I’m feeling pretty good about this project.

[icl-immigration]

Accredited Employer Work Visa: What You Need to Know

New Zealand leads the Global Life-Work Balance Index by Remote Research, surpassing 60 high-GDP nations in workplace satisfaction. With an impressive Happiness Index of 7.2 and a Total Index Score of 79.35, it's a top destination for migrants seeking better opportunities and an ideal work-life balance.(source:remote.com/resources/research/global-life-work-balance-index)These exemplary figures reflect more than New Zealand's natural beauty; they underscore its progressive employment practices. Central to this is the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV), a cornerstone of New Zealand's innovative approach to work and immigration. This guide delves into the AEWV, exploring its role in reshaping the employment landscape.  Understanding the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV)

The AEWV, a pivotal policy instrument by Immigration New Zealand (INZ), is at the forefront of addressing the country's skill shortages. It enables New Zealand employers to recruit foreign workers under certain conditions, facilitating overseas employment while ensuring the protection of local job opportunities. This balance is crucial in maintaining the nation's economic stability and workforce diversity.The Rationale Behind AEWV:The inception of the AEWV was driven by the need to streamline the work visa process and align it with New Zealand's evolving economic and labor market needs. The visa serves as a bridge connecting overseas talent with local employers who face skill gaps that cannot be filled domestically. It reflects a strategic approach to immigration, aiming to bolster the workforce while safeguarding the interests of local employees.Legal Framework and Key StatisticsThe AEWV operates within a robust legal framework, established under the Immigration Act 2009 and its subsequent amendments. This framework ensures that the visa process is not only transparent and fair but also aligns with New Zealand’s broader economic strategies and labor market conditions.Impact of AEWV on Immigration Trends:As of 6 November 2023, the impact of the AEWV is evident in the numbers: 94,015 AEWV applications approved and 29,868 employers accredited (source:https://www.immigration.govt.nz/)Above figures highlight the significant role the AEWV plays in shaping New Zealand's immigration landscape. The demand for this visa reflects the country's attractiveness as a work destination and its commitment to maintaining a high standard of labor practices.Eligibility Criteria

The AEWV scheme sets specific eligibility criteria for both employers and prospective employees, ensuring a fair and systematic immigration process.For Employers:New Zealand employers seeking to recruit under the AEWV must demonstrate adherence to several criteria:Good Workplace Practices: Compliance with labor laws, including employment standards and health and safety regulations. Human Resources Policies: Implementing effective human resources policies and processes. Training Domestic Staff: Proven efforts in training and employing local staff. Financial Stability: Demonstrating business stability and sustainability. Job Offer: A valid offer from an accredited employer. Skills and Qualifications: Necessary skills and qualifications for the offered job. Health and Character: Compliance with INZ's health and character standards. Salary Threshold: Earning at or above the median wage, currently NZ$ $29.66 an hour. Employer Accreditation: Job Check: Employee Application: - Timeline: Access to a broader talent pool, enabling them to fill skill gaps efficiently. Simplified recruitment process, saving time and resources. Enhanced reputation as a compliant and fair workplace, attracting high-caliber talent. Increased job security, as the visa is tied to specific accredited employers. Potential pathways to residency, offering long-term opportunities in New Zealand. Equal employment rights and conditions, ensuring a fair work environment. Work in New Zealand for a minimum of 30 hours per week. Study allowances for up to 3 months annually. Eligibility for various residence and skilled migrant visas. Tailored AEWV Consultation: Expert advice shaped by two decades of experience. Impressive Success Rate: 97% AEWV success rate, showcasing our expertise. Trusted by 1000+ Clients: Our experience is reflected in extensive client trust and positive reviews. https://www.immigration.govt.nz/ https://remote.com/resources/research/ https://www.mondaq.com/newzealand/work-visas Read the full article