Employment for Immigration to New Zealand, Australia and Beyond

Pre-COVID Testimonials

December 31, 2021December 26, 2024 Tate

This is an archive of our clients’ testimonials collected prior to the COVID crisis – the period of uncertainty, lockdowns, no international travel, and low rates of hiring worldwide.

Len Fourie

Senior Director, Tax & Finance

“I met with Tate regarding relocation advice. At our introduction, I could tell, Tate is very professional and helpful with my questions and requests. As agent he could identify my weaknesses as employment seeker and provided me with awesome corrective measures to prepare me for interviews. He has an effective system to assist job seekers and is always willing to support you. I will recommend Tate to any person seeking any employment seeking advice.”

Mervin Naidoo

Production Manager

“Hi Tate, thank you for your assistance in pointing me in the right direction and providing me with the tools to improve my chances of being employed in New Zealand. The services you offer are worth every $ spent.”

Michael King

Key Accounts Manager

“Hi Tate, Thank you so much for your time. You knowledge, experience and professionalism of and within the New Zealand environ is so valuable and a super resource to tap into. The insights you shared were easily understood and I have benefited from the sound advice and discussion during our session earlier today.”

Thomas Van Dalen

IT Infrastructure Architect, CIO

“I won’t say anything to improve – I’ll give you 10 out of 10! It’s a simple program, if you follow it to the “T”, you put your effort in, then it’s just phenomenal. It really works. I mean, I took the whole package and I mean everything was just phenomenal. The way you presented it, the way you made it work was phenomenal. And it worked, it really worked! … And this is possible. And it was possible very quickly: from the time we started till the time everything worked out was just over a month, which was phenomenal! …I’m just very grateful for the whole process, I’m grateful for your help, I’m so glad everything worked out the way we wanted it to work out. And without your help, I wouldn’t be in the position where I am now.” [an excerpt from Thomas’ video interview]

Delia

CA – Masters Degree in Audit – Head of Audit

“Thank you, Tate, for all of your assistance! You know, I couldn’t have done it without you. And the value you’ve given me in terms of the guidance etc – you really made it a whole lot easier for me, so thank you very much!” [an excerpt from Delia’s video interview]

Brian Venter

Master Butcher, Owner

“The way you approach it [professional profile] is remarkable, because I’ve never came across anybody who does that… My [relatives and friends] back in South Africa asked me how did I get so quickly to New Zealand? I: listen, here’s Tate’s email, just email him. So I gave all your details to them.” [an excerpt from Brian’s video interview]

Annette Human

Pharmacist

“I would like to thank you very much for your CV course. It was very informative and an eye opener. I have paid a CV writer to do a CV for me, and was not happy at all. I can clearly see now why one should write your own CV. Nobody can ever explain one’s abilities as you can do it for yourself. Thank you for making a difference in my journey to NZ!!!”

Dean Smith

Facilities Manager for large holding

“It was quite a daunting journey, it was quite a long journey and leading up to the point when you and I met. It was frustration deluxe, I was almost at the part where I was wanting to through in the towel – I’m not going to make it to New Zealand! After speaking to you, with all the coaching that you did with me, kind of explaining to me how the New Zealand style of interview and conversation goes, changed a lot of the ways I approached companies over the phone… So, it was a success because of the way that we approached it and we went about it.” [an excerpt from Dean’s video interview]

Michelle

Executive in the Insurance Industry

“You give a lot of feedback: …one thing you did was you summarised in a feedback message to me, saying “Highlight these five things”. And I written them down and made sure that each one of my discussions, even if I forgot everything else, those 5 things whatever they were would come through. I think that’s the one thing.

I think that the second thing that was very valuable was these mock interviews: you prepared us for what can be expected. I think that no person ever has enough experience – you only go to the interviews when you are looking for job and that might only be (if you’re lucky) 3-4 times in your life, and trends also change as well. I think my sessions with you made me gaining confidence.” [an excerpt from Michelle’s video interview]

Kenneth van Rensburg

Qualified Electrician

“Thank you for all your guidance and assistance as well as empowering and enabling. Your process gives substance and direction to the process of looking for work. Your calm demeanour also helps. I would not have been able to do this with a brash impatient person. It feels like we have synergy, and I am anticipating the results. We don’t know what your policy is about keeping contact, but I sincerely hope we manage to meet once we are in NZ.”

Willem Dykstra

ICT Professional / Information Management and Controls

“I can honestly say that you are opening my eyes to a new world of marketing myself. Your guidance and positive attitude is refreshing and I can honestly say, that I have worked with few people who share your view on marketing oneself!”

Cole and Chané Schouw

Qualified Welder, Rigger

“Tate, I’m beaming with excitement to let you know that Cole landed a job offer with an accredited, Auckland based employer. So happy and thankful for your help and guidance thus far. I’d definitely say that the recent update made to your “Engaging with the job market” really helped give me the confidence to actively engage and know exactly how to ask the inevitable question related to work visas during the first call.”

Christo Pauley

Qualified Plater Welder / Boilermaker

“Really love your CV course. I have went about twice over your CV course and every time I pick up something new.”

Manuel Ricardo

Senior Systems Engineer

“I can definitely say that Tate has helped me in many ways. We connected via LinkedIn and have stayed in touch ever since. He has given sound relocation and job hunting advice and strategies that have helped me get noticed from Botswana. Thank you for your service and good work!”

Lauren and Luke Johnson

Drone Specialist, Commercial Pilot

My husband used Tate’s methods and had an interview set up before he left SA, he got the job offer there and then in NZ. We highly recommend Tate!

Carol-Ann and Dominic Morrison

Qualified Mechanical Fitter

Tate comes highly recommended. It has been so beneficial to walk this journey of networking and learning on how to approach the job market and the FANTASTIC video CV he offers in his complete package. We would definitely still be a statistic of the many who never get answers on their CV submissions. Tate has always been readily available to provide us with his knowledge and words of wisdom (considering the time difference) for anything that seems minor or major in your process. I was one of those who said I don’t need help or won’t be using agents because of financial reasons BUT the outcome is worth every single cent paid. We are truly thankful and grateful for his services.

Bűanka Williamson

Teacher

I enjoyed the CV course, it was instructive and valuable and worth my while. The part where you talked about creating and finalising the CV was beneficial and made it clear what is really important to state on a resume. I acquired a lot of information which I can use to create my resume to introduce myself in an effective way to a prospective employer.

Franco Erasmus

Accountant / Auditor

Since I’ve done your Course, I’ve uploaded my CV on Seek, and all of the sudden I’ve got a pop-up “You maybe a strong candidate for this position”. And it was the first time when I saw that (after 10 months of hectic effort). I took a screenshot and I sent it to my whole family. It was just such an exciting moment. So I want to thank you for that.

Jaco Rossouw

CEO, Financial Services Sector

Though that was a bit of work but really worthwhile! I can see that my CV a lot better already but having just watched the common mistakes clip again I think a little bit more work may be required. Anyway, I just wanted to thank you – money well spent. It’s not as simple as one thinks but your guidance makes it really clear.

Nilene and Andries Lötter

Qualified Fitter and Turner, Foreman

Hi Tate, we watched the whole CV course. We started from the beginning and went through it step by step. It is done in so much detail, very customer friendly, the way you are able to bring over the message without making anyone feel small and giving everybody the confidence to be able to create their own, is absolutely awesome!!

Melody Masuko

CA, Finanical Manager

I am really enjoying going through the course. No CV writer puts that sort of information in your CV. I agree with you that a CV in this format will make a big difference.

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Clear Benchmarks to Your New Life

November 26, 2021 Tate

For newcomers especially, starting your new life in New Zealand, Australia or any foreign country can seem overwhelming. It can all seem a bit confusing, especially these days. To help clear up the process, let’s review the strategy backwards, from the end-point of most people.

What are the main goalposts involved here?

7) Get residency – That is usually the #1 goal, right?

6) To get residency, you will need to move a period where you are working-to-residency, yes? There is no other way for most of my Clients.

5) To get work, a qualifying job offer is needed for sure. This is a must.

4) To get a job offer, it is important to line up great meetings with suitable employers offering suitable roles. A targeted approach works. Spamming doesn’t work. Fair enough so far?

3) To enjoy a big list of meetings scheduled even before you leave your home country, you need an effective and customised marketing campaign that targets quality employers. So it is about meetings, meetings, meetings. You have control over this area, more so than you know.

2) Before starting any sort of campaign, a stand-out profile should be crafted that sets you apart from all of the other candidates based on who you are and your proven skills. This is obvious right? We can’t just set up meetings and give an average profile. It needs to connect.

1) To find out more, my process really begins with your CV and your core strengths and your goals.

Dos this help clear up the process?

I have been through this backwards and forwards with all industries, all levels of roles, every region and many countries. Your journey is always a personal experience for you and for me. The systems I have created will assist us to bring out your best and make those connections and get the job done.

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Why Not Launch Your Job Search During the Holidays?

November 4, 2021 Tate

What are the advantages of launching your job search during the holidays?

There are clear advantages when you do things that others aren’t doing. For example, you are automatically set apart from everyone else when you don’t follow the crowd. Your mind is also more relaxed during the holidays, which allows for a better flow of inspiration. When combined with a robust system and a proven approach, creativity enhances results and brings new opportunities. For many, the holidays represents some much needed downtime that can be used towards a better year.

Tate in Nelson, New Zealand

Let’s explore what is possible for you specifically. Just send your CV to me at tate@employmentforimmigration.nz

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Strategy for Committed NZ / Aus Immigrants

September 12, 2021 Tate

For those wanting to enter NZ soon, here are some strategies to consider

First concept – Watch the Border, when it opens, the wider job market will be open.

About timing – We know that the INZ has said that they will be opening borders in “early 2022”. Wouldn’t it be nice to have an exact date and more clarity on the plan? Yes, but we have what we have.
Border policy – We know that NZ border policy announcement includes everyone. Whether you are from a “safe” or “unsafe” country for example, or whether you are “vaccinated” or “unvaccinated”. These data points will determine your length of time at MIQ (Managed Isolation and Quarantine). Nobody is barred from entry, but some will stay at MIQ for a couple of weeks.

Second concept – Secure your job offer by securing job interviews. It can be done from home before you fly to NZ.

The job offer is the center of the immigration solar system for job seekers. For those of you who are new here, the strategy for getting into NZ (or Australia) has always been the same. Once the job offer is obtained, the rest of the process becomes clear:

job offer can be received,
house can be rented,
schools can be contacted,
car can be purchased instead of rented,
quality of life costs can be estimated and
career path can be charted out – depending on your relationship with your employer.

In addition, funding and immigration support is available from some employers. People in extreme high demand sectors that have demonstrated exceptional skills and achievement in your home country (you know who you are), there is often a high motivation to support you into NZ in other ways besides just a job offer. These can be quite significant at times. For example, I have seen employers offer to partially pay or sometimes fully cover MIQ for the entire family. Also, the work visa side of things can sometimes be covered by the employer. In fact, this is a growing trend. This is not something you should expect from every employer, but it does happen for top talent and it happens more frequently with larger companies (Most often these days in trades and engineering, hospitals and private clinics. This trend is likely to grow in my view.)

What about getting hired online? There is always a chance to get a job offer from abroad over a video call. I don’t like to promote this to people but it is a possibility. Almost everyone I know who was hired online was in a late stage of planning, ready to enter NZ to look for work in the weeks or months ahead. In other words, the employer “wasn’t begging them to come to work” as they like to say. Demonstrated commitment is important for employers to see.

Third concept – Job seekers coming into NZ will experience demand for skills unlike anything in NZ history.

The NZ economy is struggling to meet business demand today. Our labour shortages have prevented growth. There is plenty of business in almost all sectors of our economy but not enough labour capacity, something we have always found in overseas labour. As a result, we have absurd situations such as 6 month waiting lists to have kitchens installed due to lack of skilled carpenters, or 3 month waiting lists for vehicle maintenance due to lack of mechanics. What happens with such long waiting lists is that people stop signing up to the waiting lists of established providers and they either do it themselves, or prolong the decision or go with a new contractor, or they bid up the pay rate and buy a place in line ahead of others, etc… Every trade and nearly every industry is struggling with the exact same problem: plenty of opportunity but no skilled labour. We have 4% unemployment, which means there is nobody to choose from other than your competitors’ staff. Headhunting from competitors has given a $2/hour jump in salary in the last year for the country on average. That is probably a record. In short, the economy is OK, but it is capped at existing capacity, limited by existing labour pools which are completely tapped out.

First wave job-surfers will have a clear advantage over those who come afterwards. If you are 100% committed to New Zealand, and if you have the time ad funds available to prepare for your future, then all this painful waiting while we have closed borders might represent a huge opportunity for you in early 2022.

If interested to find out how you can be successful in your job search, launched from your home country well in advance of borders opening, send your CV and goals to me at tate@employmentforimmigration.nz (I respond in about a day).

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Border Exemptions Promised to 300 Foreign Teachers

July 7, 2021July 8, 2021 Tate

On July 3rd, the NZ government announced a “new border exemption for 300 teachers”. It sounds like good news but what does it mean? Our immigration authorities seem to be speaking in riddles lately. To help foreign teachers understand this opportunity and what can be done to enhance job success, I made this article for you.

What does this new policy mean?

Question 1 – Is 300 teachers a lot?

Not at all. There are about 2,500 primary and secondary schools in New Zealand, with a total of about 800,000 students and 60,000 teachers. Three hundred teachers is equal to half of one percent of the total teachers in NZ. That isn’t enough to fill a big demand gap and it may not even keep pace with teacher demand growth by the time this policy is implemented.

Question 2 – When will the hiring begin?

We don’t know , but we are told that schools may apply in September for the right to offer these exempted roles: “This (exemption) will give principals and services additional support, especially for 2022 recruitment, and complement existing teacher supply initiatives.’ Applications under this exemption will open in September.” -from the article.

Question 3 – How can foreign teachers apply to these roles?

“Eligible early learning services, schools and kura can apply for one of 300 class border exceptions so they can recruit and bring overseas qualified teachers to New Zealand while borders remain closed. The Ministry of Education will work with the education sector to ensure that ECE services and schools with the greatest recruitment needs get priority. According to the Ministry, processes of recruitment remains with the early learning service or school.”

It looks to me that our ministry will grant quotas to schools and then schools will be free to hire. Beyond that, I have more questions than answers.

Will the schools need to hire according to some unspecified government process?
Or will schools manage their hiring quota as they see fit? (I assume this will be the case)
How will foreign teachers know the difference between a standard teaching advertisement and one that complies with the 300 foreign teacher exemption? (The article doesn’t say, and I can’t find any answers yet)

Question 4 – Which schools can apply and when?

“Those who are in an early learning service or school with a teacher wanting to return (and had an employment agreement on 19 March 2020 that is still active), they can register their interest by emailing the Ministry at border.exceptions@education.govt.nz with their school name and the best contact person.”

For more details on this question, see the excellent video below from Arran Hunt, Partner and Immigration Lawyer at Stace Hammond, New Zealand

Question 5 – What do we know so far about the schedule of this mysterious 300 teacher program?

March 2021 – NZ schools register interest in the program
September 2021 – NZ schools apply
End 2021 – Selected NZ schools are confirmed into the program
And finally – Qualifying teachers can apply to roles from these schools, hopefully according to a well-considered process that is understandable to the applicant

There are many questions left unanswered. And yet there are also many ways to enhance your position as a candidate for teaching in New Zealand in 2022, either in this limited program or when the new border policy opens our market back up again.

For more details at this very preliminary stage, the below video is the best one that I have found online.

Arran Hunt, Partner and Immigration Lawyer at Stace Hammond, New Zealand

How does this policy help foreign teachers enter the NZ job market?

The quick answer is “not much”. Only a lucky few will get in with this program. Initially, this may sound disheartening but let’s look at your options. If your goal is NZ, why not use this opportunity to prepare now and “go for it”? What is the worst that could happen? You either get this rare exemption or you don’t. Either way, you are preparing for your future with actions that support your goals and you will probably have a positive state of mind while doing so. Every step towards your destiny is going to be experienced as progress, allowing more doors to open, more job discussions, more interviews arranged. From a practical sense, preparing in advance will bring material and emotional benefits that enhance your chances for success when the time comes.

Question 6 – What is some practical advice for foreign teachers who want to prepare for a teaching job in New Zealand?

Get the Teacher’s Certificate – https://teachingcouncil.nz/getting-certificated/for-overseas-trained-teachers/applying-for-a-provisional-practising-certificate/

“A practising certificate shows you have satisfactory recent teaching experience, have undertaken professional development and are fit to be a teacher.”
– NZ Teaching Council

2. Get Familiar with the Education Gazette – Excellent resource for finding work and bench-marking qualifications required. https://gazette.education.govt.nz/vacancies/

3. Schedule your future application efforts to match local demand for teachers, usually beginning in advance of the term dates. https://www.enz.org/education-schools-new-zealand.html

4. Adjust your job-seeking targets based on demographic or regional preferences if that is important to you. You can begin with a list of schools in New Zealand. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lists_of_schools_in_New_Zealand

5. Experienced employment assistance – If you want experienced job-finding support, just send your CV to me at tate@employmentforimmigration.nz for helpful feedback in about a day. Include briefly your status of immigration and any goals you might have so far. My initial consultation has no cost.

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New Opportunities in New Zealand

June 27, 2021June 27, 2021 Tate

– For Job Seekers, Employers and Agencies

Under the new Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) application process to be launched on November 1, 2021, employers will will lead foreign job seekers into the work visa process. This change will result in a more functional immigration experience for job seekers and employers. Many opportunities will arise for all players including the agencies.

Likely Benefits to Job Seekers

My predictions are below and I remain flexible to adjusting my views as new information becomes known.

Cost – Likely to be less up-front cost and lower overall costs because I see employers more involved in each individual case and more likely to pay for the visa side of things.
Time – Processing work visas will be done faster and with less errors on average, which means less frustration and more certainty for job seekers from job offer to the first day of work. Job-seekers will also experience an improved process in the area of planning and collaboration because they will enjoy a relationship with one point of contact per each job offer rather than having to juggle the requirements with INZ separately from the offer to work.
Frustration – Gladly, job seekers will avoid the problems related to differing interests that pass “like two ships in the night” – not seeing each other. In the past, delays and miscommunication have been a significant barrier to getting work visas submitted and approved because employers and immigration agents have not always communicated perfectly or quickly with each other. From the employer’s point of view, it is true that many immigration agents are professionally competent to meet the service needs of employers, however, there is an equal amount of agents unwilling or unable to act competently outside their bureaucratic comfort zone. This disconnect has ruined many immigration efforts due to mistakes, delays, retracted offers and failed job seeking efforts that ultimately resulted from this lack of collaboration. This level of incompetence will decrease under one employer-led process. As a result, job seekers will experience less frustration, cost and risk.
Clearer targets – Now, more than ever, job seekers will have planning clarity. As I said in my introduction to foreign job seekers: “The first priority is the job offer, everything else follows quite naturally”. https://atomic-temporary-163814143.wpcomstaging.com/about-tate/ After November 1, 2021, this statement can be taken to the next level because employers are giving more than job offers. They also provide leadership towards the work visa as part of the same process.

What does this mean?

For foreign job seekers: The AEWV signals a welcome change that offers less stress, faster processing times and less up-front costs. In the past, job seekers were caught between legally-driven documentation requirements from the INZ and economically-driven job offers from employers. There have been communication gaps that arose between two entities that have slightly different business objectives. In addition, foreign job seekers are in an unfamiliar culture, often using English as a second language. It is not easy to take responsibility for all those diverse issues while also finding work and managing personal affairs at the same time. Because some serious flaws in the immigration system are being addressed by INZ, the job seeking experience for foreigners is likely to improve for most in my view.
For NZ employers: The AEWV signals a major change in the way businesses work with foreigners. They must be proactive enough to get the accreditation and establish robust systems for processing to a standard of compliance that is not yet fully known. This will increase compliance costs. The new costs will be streamlined towards efficiency over time until costs are far less than the benefits of hiring foreign talent. Employer that achieve this will become players in the new system and they will have some help from INZ and also from the agencies.
For immigration agents: The AEWV will change some fundamental aspects of their business model. I see demand for work visas shrinking from job seekers and at the same time I see the growth of a new market where local NZ employers require accreditation support. I don’t believe the large employers will need help and I stand to be corrected if I am wrong. Nevertheless, it seems clear that most employer demand for accreditation support will come from New Zealand’s SME market, which represents 95% of NZ employers. The agencies that establish themselves as a reliable partner in this new growth segment will more than offset any losses from shrinking work visa revenues. In addition, there are downstream opportunities that will emerge after accreditation that hint at job placement. This almost guarantees that local employment recruiters will enter this new market as well. It will be an interesting period of change and opportunity for employers and the various supporting agencies. May the best vision win.

Predictions for Job Seekers:

For job seekers abroad, the best way to get hired will have little or no significant change. If anything, the process and experience will improve in most ways after a period of adjustment in the first 4-6 months. Success in relocation for most professionals is still about getting a job offer. Along with the job offer, job seekers also get support from the employer-led work visa process as well. That is a welcome change from the way things were done previously.

My advice to foreign job seekers remains the same as it has always been. To maximise success, prepare your profile and present yourself to employers in a way that generates meetings and job offers. You can start that process now from the relative comfort of your home where costs are lower and preparation time is easier to find. When the border announcement finally arrives, job seekers will want to have a list of interested hiring managers to meet and most will want to be among the first wave of job seekers to enter New Zealand (or Australia). This is a time when demand for talent has never been higher in history. It is shaping up to be a perfect storm of hiring. For those that qualify, preparation and timing is everything.

***

Further Information:

From the Immigration NZ website, the Accredited Employer-led Work Visa process is explained here: Employer leads visa application proces s

If you require helpful advice, I offer helpful job insights at no cost to qualifying candidates. To find out more, just send your CV to me at tate@employmentforimmigration.nz and I will respond within about a day.

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NZ Job Market Observations

June 12, 2021 Tate

June 2021

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It Works In All English-Speaking Job Markets

May 31, 2021May 31, 2021 Tate

Where do you want to go? New Zealand, Australia, US, Canada or maybe Europe? My system works in all English-speaking job markets because hiring managers get exactly what they need for decision-making.

Flavien

Flavien is a FMCG Financial Director, Chartered Accountant, with 2 master’s degrees and 27 years of experience. Flavien specialises in turnaround projects within the FMCG sector, working with world-renowned companies like – L’Oréal in Paris, Pernod Ricard in London, Elizabeth Arden in Geneva and others.

It was an honour to work with Flavien and I appreciate his kind words.

If you want to use my services for one or more countries, I just need your CV and some information about your goals: tate@employmentforimmigration.nz

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Problems and Opportunities for New Zealand Immigrants Today

May 28, 2021May 28, 2021 Tate

NZ immigration is full of uncertainty, largely falling into three areas: border policy, changes in compliance for foreign workers and changes in the procedure of immigration. Let’s review each item and identify which one presents the largest problem to immigrants and to employers that would like to hire immigrants.

1) POTENTIAL CHANGES TO COMPLIANCE:

We have at least 4 changes potentially entering into policy here:
a) median wage correction upwards,
b) age of dependent children dropping down to 18,
c) points system might be adjusted, or at least this is what some believe and finally
d) qualifications requirements may get stronger, with a particular focus landing on semi-skilled workers.

The above items will not negatively impact most foreign job seekers today. We have seen Immigration New Zealand increase compliance on incoming foreign job seekers for several decades already. So far, I understand proposed or considered policy changes, I don’t believe this category is going to shock anyone. It would probably be more surprising if there was no change in this category.

2) COMING CHANGES TO PROCEDURE: (Regarding the changes coming November 1st)

What are the coming changes and how are they likely to impact the major stakeholders?

a) AFFECTED EMPLOYERS – will have to create new processes and systems to comply with INZ Accreditation. And they will need to keep compliance robust in order to maintain the privilege of hiring foreign talent. The larger employers will quickly streamline this new procedure and continue on as before. The smaller employers will have greater per-hire costs and some of them will struggle to find the capacity for accreditation. Some of the smaller companies that want to hire foreigners may not have the staff or time needed to sort compliance requirements. Therefore, I see the small-to-medium companies as an immediate growth area for agency support in both full service accreditation support or ad-hoc consulting and document support.

b) AFFECTED IMMIGRATION AGENTS- will have to re-think their business model as it concerns their client market because the employer-led immigration process will put two important tasks under one roof: job offers and work visas. Agents are likely to see their job seeker market shrink overall and meanwhile, the SME market is likely to become an opportunity soon and possibly larger companies would want to contract for seasonal volume work in certain sectors. Early adapters that figure out this new and evolving market will secure newly-created market share with thanks from INZ.

c) AFFECTED JOB SEEKERS – will experience a more functional work-to-residency process in the long run. However, there will be challenges that come with change. Job seekers are also likely to save a ton of money in the beginning stages where they find employers processing visa documents instead of agents. The goal of job seekers is likely to be simplified as well if they can target employers that are accredited. I assume even non-accredited employers will become accredited for the right opportunity. The entire job market is likely to be open for job seeking. In that regard, I see very little changing in terms of strategy for job seekers because it is still about getting work and the entire job market is there for you to explore.

The above items will lighten the load of most job seekers in the long run, both financially and also with a more efficient process in the long run. This will attract more of the talent that New Zealand wants. Employers will adjust in the usual way they always adjust, by either taking on the challenge in-house or contracting it out to a reliable partner.

3) CHANGES IN BORDER POLICY: (only temporary we hope)

What has been the impact of NZ border policy over from Q2, 2000 until now?

* New costs introduced with quarantine
* Complex exemption rules, often not leading to residency
* Divided families
* Uncertain when or how border policies will be resolved

It’s All About The Border

To me, this is the category of pain for the great majority of New Zealanders and foreign job seekers considering New Zealand as a home. Until the border policy issue is resolved and brought back into normal functional society again, immigration processes will remain unpredictable with cost, time and compliance procedures.

Economic Impact

Like many other nations of the world, New Zealand was built on the productivity of employers and workers. We wouldn’t be where we are today if we didn’t have a well-managed business environment and a well-managed border. In 2020, NZ lost over 20% of its goods and service export revenue when the Travel and Tourism industry fell apart. That left the other 80% responsible for the all of goods and services revenue that remained, and that put additional pressure on infrastructure to keep those goods moving at a high rate. Things worked out well for NZ so far, because we have the infrastructure and it works. But we need foreign talent to keep up with maintenance and technology upgrades. The future of NZ export revenue depends on the current state of NZ infrastructure.

Positive Outlook

Although this is a trying time for everyone, let’s not lose sight of the fact that NZ is still the best place on the planet for lifestyle, raising children and enjoying abundant nature. And let’s also not forget, NZ has already started with easing border restrictions with travel options provided to citizens of nearby islands, Australia and exempted workers. This may be expected to widen cautiously over the next months to come. I see plenty of positive trends so far and only one big problem that needs to be resolved.