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Migrant News:Year of setbacks sours family's dream Kiwi life
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levi
Joined: 16 Oct 2006
Posts: 1231
Location: Auckland Central, New Zealand
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 Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2010 12:19 pm Post subject: Migrant News:Year of setbacks sours family's dream Kiwi life |
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Year of setbacks sours family's dream Kiwi life
By Lincoln Tan
4:00 AM Tuesday Jan 19, 2010
Moving to New Zealand last year after obtaining a work-to-residence visa, Filipina accountant Lourdes Sarmiento thought she would be starting a dream new life.
Instead, she has faced numerous setbacks after being unable to find a job, even with a three-month extension to her initial three-month visa and sending out hundreds of applications.
Ms Sarmiento also found out late last year that flood had severely damaged her house in the Philippines, and she has nothing to return to.
Now on a visitor's visa, the 44-year-old former cruise ship chief accountant is unable to pay international fees for her two sons, Azil Dominiku, 14 and Alexis Dominic, 6, to go to school.
"I feel like I have really let my children down," Ms Sarmiento said.
"We moved to New Zealand because we wanted them to have a better life. Instead they don't even have a school to go to when the term starts next month."
Ms Sarmiento is one of several migrants who have watched their dream turn into a nightmare.
It looked so much different before she arrived. The Immigration New Zealand website said plenty of jobs were available, and her skills were on the shortage list.
Residency would be confirmed after she found work.
Immigration New Zealand changed the words on its website that claimed unemployment was at an "all-time low" after a Herald report in June.
However, despite the recession, work permits were approved in record numbers - 136,481 being issued last year.
The Migrant Action Trust has criticised the ease with which the agency was issuing work and work-to-residence permits, claiming they were a trap for potential migrants.
"There are no jobs for them here. Migrant workers stand to lose everything when they move here," trust spokeswoman Agnes Granada said then, as thousands of out-of-work migrants were faced with problems during the recession.
The Department of Labour says New Zealand's unemployment rate hit 6 per cent last year, up from a low of 3.5 per cent in December 2007.
"It is likely that the unemployment rate in New Zealand will rise in 2009-10," the department's Migration Trends and Outlook report said.
It said many temporary migrants who came to New Zealand to work gained entry through policies that were labour market tested, meaning they would need a job offer.
"With the rise in unemployment, there has been less demand for temporary migrant workers," the report said.
"Also, decline rates through the essential skills policy have increased as able and appropriately skilled New Zealanders become available to work."
The department found most skilled migrants were generally happy with their lives in New Zealand.
A 2008 survey found nine out of 10 skilled migrants were satisfied or very satisfied with life here.
Ninety-two per cent said they would recommend New Zealand as a place to live and the relaxed pace of life, and the clean and green environment was likely to meet migrants' expectations.
Link to article: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/employment/news/article.cfm?c_id=11&objectid=10620879&pnum=0 |
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philidor
Joined: 02 Jun 2008
Posts: 357
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| Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2010 2:04 am Post subject: |
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Napapansin nyo ba??? Dumadami na ng dumadami ang posting sa seek na either Permanent Resident OR Citizen lang ang pwedeng mag apply??
... and the govt is saying na tapos na ang recession?? Paano na ang mga kapatid na WTR ang hawak? nakakalungkot. |
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chicano
Joined: 01 Nov 2008
Posts: 73
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| Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2010 9:37 am Post subject: |
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Thousands queue for 150 jobs
By Bernard Orsman and Alanah May Eriksen View as one page
4:00 AM Friday Jan 22, 2010
Most of the jobs were offering low pay and many had unsociable hours, but the applicants turned up in their thousands.
The 2500 people who yesterday waited up to seven hours to apply for one of 150 jobs at a new South Auckland supermarket showed competition is fierce when options are few and unemployment is high.
The line of Countdown job-seekers extended hundreds of metres around a Manukau warehouse being used as a makeshift interview suite.
At the end was a 15-minute sit-down with one of up to 40 interviewers. At stake were a variety of positions, from "trolley boys" and "checkout chicks" to butchery, delicatessen, produce and managerial roles.
Some people had been lined up two hours before interviews started at 9am. Only about half of those who queued reached the interview stage.
Their area had an unemployment rate of 9.2 per cent in September, more than the Auckland and national average of 6.5 per cent.
One of those in the queue was Manukau resident Shaista Raza. She has applied for dozens of jobs, in several industries, over the past year, but has been unable to get work.
Article continues below
The 25-year-old is supported by her sister and brother-in-law with whom she lives while she completes a business administration diploma at the Careers and Transition Education Association in Otahuhu.
She was hoping to get part-time work at Countdown.
"It would be great to get something in the management field or marketing but anything will do ... Finding work is very hard right now, it has been a very long and bumpy road. Admin, cleaning jobs, you name it, I've applied for it."
Miss Raza queued for about three hours yesterday but had to leave to look after her nephew. She planned to queue again today.
"It's amazing the patience people have. It shows the recession really did hit us."
Progressive Enterprises area manager Wayne Dohmen said the company had to start turning people away from about 3pm so it could complete interviews by 8pm.
The numbers have already exceeded the 1700 who turned up last month to seek jobs at a Countdown opening in Pukekohe in March.
"There was a big cross-section of people with different skill-sets," Mr Dohman said. "Today was a chance for us to see how much interest there was in the local community."
Council of Trade Unions president Helen Kelly said the fact people were prepared to queue for a long time showed how desperate they were to find work, even if it was low-paid.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/employment/news/article.cfm?c_id=11&objectid=10621612 |
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levi
Joined: 16 Oct 2006
Posts: 1231
Location: Auckland Central, New Zealand
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| Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2010 1:07 pm Post subject: |
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| philidor wrote: | Napapansin nyo ba??? Dumadami na ng dumadami ang posting sa seek na either Permanent Resident OR Citizen lang ang pwedeng mag apply??
... and the govt is saying na tapos na ang recession?? Paano na ang mga kapatid na WTR ang hawak? nakakalungkot. |
Someone mentioned earlier that immigration sends you a letter that you can send through to your prospective employee explaining your WTR visa. Does this letter actually work nowadays? |
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levi
Joined: 16 Oct 2006
Posts: 1231
Location: Auckland Central, New Zealand
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| Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2010 1:09 pm Post subject: |
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@chicano
Thanks for the news. |
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chicano
Joined: 01 Nov 2008
Posts: 73
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| Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 8:53 pm Post subject: |
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follow up story
'Frivolous' migrant visas shatter hopes, dreams
By Lincoln Tan
4:00 AM Tuesday Jan 26, 2010
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Immigration New Zealand's "frivolous" issuing of work-to-residence visas is being questioned by migrant support groups as the country's unemployment rate hits new highs.
The agency issued 2261 work-to-residence visas and permits last year despite 44 per cent of those immigrants already here on such visas failing to find employment.
Immigration New Zealand says the scheme allows people who want to live in New Zealand to test their skills against the local labour market, and they know that if they cannot find work they will have to leave.
But Agnes Granada of the Migrant Action Trust said the system was frivolous and totally irresponsible because it was destroying people's lives.
"The work-to-residence permit is not a straight work permit, and migrants come here on the promise of permanency once they can get employment - but when there are no jobs for them, it becomes a trap."
New Zealand's unemployment rate is 6.5 per cent and figures released last week showed the number of people on the unemployment benefit rose 13 per cent last month to 66,328.
Article continues below
"Would-be migrants who have been issued visas are given three months to arrive in New Zealand to start their job hunt, but where can they find work at a time like this?" said Ms Granada.
Many migrants had sold up everything to come here and found that they had no money to return home and so extended their stay here as visitors, students or overstayers.
"Many come with their families, including young children, and find themselves in a situation where they cannot afford to send their kids to school," she said.
Immigration New Zealand approved 382 applications from migrants successful in obtaining a skilled job offer, but declined 299 others who failed to find skilled work.
Dennis Maga, national co-ordinator for Migrante Aotearoa, a migrant workers' union, said the work-to-residence scheme was fuelling xenophobia among New Zealand workers.
"Kiwis already have the perception that they have to compete with migrants for work and this scheme is only turning that perception into truth," Mr Maga said.
"With a deadline to find employment, it becomes like an amazing race for jobs to these migrants, but it is mission impossible for many and it will just end in shattered dreams."
Migrante Aotearoa was also questioning the recruitment of more migrant workers under the Silver Fern Visa when those already here were unable to find work, and would be asking the Department of Labour to investigate whether the work-to-residence scheme had benefited New Zealand in any way, Mr Maga said.
Immigration New Zealand said the work-to-residence permit was issued for nine months. "They must find skilled employment in order to progress through to residence. If they do not, they are not eligible for residence," said an agency spokesman.
"Everyone offered a work-to-residence permit receives a letter explaining these conditions."
By Lincoln Tan | Email Lincoln
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10622243 |
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philidor
Joined: 02 Jun 2008
Posts: 357
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| Posted: Thu Jan 28, 2010 7:56 am Post subject: |
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"Immigration New Zealand approved 382 applications from migrants successful in obtaining a skilled job offer, but declined 299 others who failed to find skilled work"
WOW!! sa mga nasa application stage pa lang...eto tunay na reflection ng situation dito sa new zealand for WTR visa holders.
sa aking opinyon, at this time, better to apply sa country na magbibigay sayo ng automatic na Residency kesa makipasapalaran ka sa negosyong WTR ng nz. opinyon lang naman po.
Goodluck! |
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