My colleague Sahar Shamia recently published a blog article, “Thinking about moving to New Zealand?”.
In this new blog article, I carry on with my colleague’s theme and provide some reasons why New Zealand is a popular choice for migrants from all around the world.
New Zealand is a popular destination for many
While our job at Laurent Law is to assist those looking to make New Zealand their home, it is noticeable that this is not the narrative that features often within New Zealand. For example, news media in New Zealand is continuous with the narrative that young New Zealand citizens must look overseas to find work, opportunity and build a life for themselves. Australia and the United Kingdom are the most commonly cited destinations. From our perspective, the contradiction is noticeable, as we meet and assist clients on a daily basis (including from Australia and the United Kingdom) who in a lot of cases will do nearly anything to make New Zealand their home. We say, New Zealand is a popular destination for migrants all around the world for many reasons that may seem obvious, or are taken for granted by some.
The current Government is keen to see more people, including New Zealand citizens, make New Zealand their home, by taking steps to ‘grow the economy’. See a speech by the Prime Minister featured on a popular new website here, “Luxon says NZ ‘open for business’ after Investor summit”. Recent announcements by Government include changes to the Active Investor category, to try to encourage investment in New Zealand, and allowing people to work remotely for overseas employers while holding a Visitor Visa (so called ‘digital-nomads’).
Why New Zealand, you might ask?
In our discussions with citizens of the US, New Zealand is popular because it offers safety, security and is away from political turmoil. New Zealand is largely ‘clean and green’ and offers some amazing scenery and tourist destinations. New Zealand offers a different pace of life and is a great place to raise children. New Zealand is English speaking, culturally compatible and politically stable. Salaries may not be as a high as in the US, but that is not a determining factor for many.
In our discussions with citizens of the UK, New Zealand is popular again because of scenery, tourist destinations, and the weather/climate can also be a factor. New Zealand is away from political turmoil experienced in the UK in recent history, for example Brexit.
There are many other countries for which New Zealand is also a very popular destination. For example South Africa, several south-east Asian countries, China and India – life in New Zealand is something to aspire to for many people in these countries.
It is interesting to see how New Zealand compares to other countries in international ranking reports, for example a study by the University of Waikato (in Hamilton, New Zealand), found the following:
– A near perfect score of 99 out of 100 for political and civil liberties, second highest after Finland
– Fourth best place in the Global Peace Index for safety and security, low domestic and international conflict, and the degree of militarisation (or lack of it)
– Fourth most gender-equal country
– Sixth place in the Index for Economic freedom
– Sixth place in the Rule of Law index
– 11th most happy citizens in the World Happiness Report
– 16th place in the Human Development Index
– Auckland in the top 10 cities in the world, in the Global Liveability Index
The study notes some areas for improvement too, but no country is perfect.
Scandinavian countries including Finland, Denmark, Sweden and Iceland often rival New Zealand in some of these rankings, such as the World Happiness Report and the Global Peace Index. However, New Zealand is also frequently compared to countries such as Australia (which is geographically very close) and Singapore (which has a similar sized population, although a much smaller land area).
How can Laurent Law help me if I am interested in migrating to New Zealand?
While a professional adviser cannot provide a 100% guarantee that a Visa application will be successful, they can greatly increase your chances of success especially if your situation is complicated – and many situations are.
The Lawyers at Laurent Law are experienced Barristers and Solicitors, all with Law degrees from the University of Auckland, meaning we have completed an intensive course of study and training in New Zealand law. In New Zealand, ‘Lawyer’ is a title reserved only for those who have completed legal training and have been admitted to the High Court of New Zealand. It is unlawful for anyone else to describe themselves as Lawyers.
Simon Laurent is the current chair of the New Zealand Association of Migration and Investment.
You may just be interested in visiting New Zealand, which is possible for citizens of many countries, by applying for a New Zealand electronic travel authority in advance and boarding a plane.
However there are a range of different types of Visas which cater to different situations, some of which my colleague Sahar Shamia described in her recent blog article (cited above). There are a range of Visas for those who want to Work, Study, Live, Retire and Invest in New Zealand.
Please feel welcome to contact us to see how we can help.