July is almost done and while there is still a definite nip in the air, the days are slowly getting just that little bit longer, and hopefully will become a little bit warmer. The second half of 2024 is now upon us and whilst there are still plenty of challenges out there for many, here is hoping the next six months brings some more of those potential winds of (positive) change.

This month, we have compiled information on sale and purchase agreements from our property team, as well as a detailed discussion on cross-leases. Our immigration team have a useful case study for any migrant looking to make the move here (or for those, already here who want to stay) and we finish off with a video from our private client team, answering some key questions on trusts and wills.

comment a lot on the relevance of “rules” in terms of the New Zealand immigration process and mostly because they are the back-bone as to how the whole system works. Migrants are basically pushed through a blender of criteria, rules and policy, and the slices that fall out, should resemble a visa of some description.

Some migrants are brave enough to try and read Immigration New Zealand’s website to see if they can decipher how the process works, but very few applicants find themselves in amongst the weeds of the formal Operational Manual (most wouldn’t know what that is).

The Bank of Mum and Dad (BOMAD) has long been a source of financial support for young adults, particularly those trying to enter the property market. With rising house prices and stagnant wages, many young people find it difficult to save for a deposit on their own.

Historically, many parents have been willing and able to provide cash to help children get a deposit together for the purchase of a first home.

We would like to welcome Rebecca Ong to the Turner Hopkins Team. Rebecca joins our family law practice, working closely with her colleagues Jade Cookson and Yukie Tan.

Rebecca focusses on listening to her client’s needs, ensuring their best interests are protected, and then being able to guide them as they navigate through one of the most stressful times of their life.

Survive to 2025, seems to be the motto for 2024. There is no doubt that times are tough out there for many people and businesses and as we reach the mid-point of the year, with winter setting in, it is a good time to take stock and think about how you might make it through the next six months.

Our employment law team have some sage advice on social media and staff commentary as well as getting the restructuring process right. We also take a look at how to manage your debtors in this tougher climate as well as the results of our recent net promoter score survey.

I have been eagerly watching the election process in South Africa, as voters take to the polls in what could be the single biggest political event for the country and its people in recent history. For 30 years the ANC has held power, but it now appears that even their most loyal voter base is slipping away and early poll results show they are a fair way away from reaching the 50% majority.

What that means for South Africa and South Africans is another story (and potentially another blog) but no matter what happens, there will be families up and down the country contemplating whether it might be the right time to leave and start life in another place (New Zealand is obviously a popular choice).

The winter chill seems to have arrived early this year, with May bringing some very cool temperatures across the country, along with a very sudden cold snap. We were however treated to a spectacular display of lights over the country as the earth was subjected to a solar storm - a fair few of us braved the colder nights to take some incredible photos (the above was one taken by one of the team).

Despite the longer nights and cooler temperatures, the team at Turner Hopkins have been keeping warm, by keeping very busy.

Twenty years in this business and I have seen plenty of ups and downs, particularly when it comes to the way INZ processes applications. Over that time, I have also seen how easily, good quality applicants can be caught out by INZ simply taking a different approach to all applicants.

These ups and downs also tend to happen as the political winds change direction and right now we are seeing exactly that as the new coalition Government is trying to clean up the mess left by the previous Government.

Blink and you will miss it…Easter has been and gone and we are now near the end of the fourth month in 2024. The colors of autumn are everywhere and the days are shorter, and getting a little cooler as we gradually move into winter.

With many businesses working through financial year end, now is a good time to start planning ahead for the next 12 months and with tighter economic conditions out there, the more planning ahead you can do, the better.

Big changes announced to the AEWV overnight, which will have plenty of people wondering where that leaves them. The changes introduce new requirements, depending on the skill level of the role in question, a minimum skill threshold and increased compliance for employers.

However this is (largely) policy we have seen before. With the exception of the English tests for lower skilled applicants, much of what the Government has rolled out is familiar territory. So a case of “back to the future” - we dive in with a detailed few explainers and a couple of plot spoilers.

March madness has its origins in various places because for some reason this particular month creates an unusual degree of chaos in various quarters. In the US it is synonymous with the start of the basketball season, bringing a rush of tournaments and players to the front and centre of the American sporting calendar.

In New Zealand (and particularly in Auckland) it is often associated with a sudden increase in traffic, as students are all back at school, including the Universities. That of course translates to longer commute times and everyone realising that summer holiday are in fact over and we are now really back at work for the year…

Losing a loved one is tough. It is even harder when there are disagreements about how their assets are divided after their death.

Family disputes over estate distributions are more common than ever, especially with blended families, i.e. step-parents, half-siblings and step-siblings, getting in the mix.

At Turner Hopkins, our experienced team, Michael Robinson (who leads our Family Law and Litigation Team) and Principal, Jade Cookson, specialise in handling these sensitive situations with compassion while ensuring their clients receive the very best outcome.

Love is in the air this month with February bringing us Valentine’s day (love it or otherwise) and cause to celebrate relationships in all their shapes and sizes. To keep with the theme of the month, Februarys newsletter is all about love and relationships.

Our Family Law team have produced an insightful article on some of the more practical elements of love, as well as demystifying some of the legal concepts involved with a life with your better half.

We also take a look at the process to bring in your loved one from offshore, if love has found you in another country, and take a look at some of the common pitfalls people experience in the partnership Visa process.

This weeks blog is a game of two-halves, with the first part focussing on the trials and tribulations of telling your children, that you are about to uproot them, to move to another country. The second half, is focussed on the slightly more technical aspects of actually including those children in your application (there are different rules for different visas).

The inspiration for this blog came from a conversation I had with a potential client earlier in the week. Bob (not his real name) was contemplating the big move, along with his wife (who was already onboard) their two children - somewhat less enthusiastic. As we discussed the various steps involved, and some of the challenges, the topic of “when and how do we tell the kids” came about. Bob was already knee deep in some teenage angst, having dropped this particular bombshell on his children already.

There is an unfortunate truth in the world of visas, which is not specific to New Zealand, but applicable to any immigration system, where human beings are involved in making decisions that impact on other peoples lives - that truth is that the outcome and the process involved to reach that outcome are very heavily influenced by the person who ends up processing the application.

You can have one set of rules, one set of standard operating procedures and one organisation in charge of all of it and yet, applicants of a similar background with similar situations can end up experiencing the process and coming out the other side, in very, very different ways.

Welcome to 2024 and our first newsletter of the year. The theme for this month is “planning” and making sure you start the year off right by thinking about all of those tasks that often get put off for too long.

We have some useful tips on what to plan for in the year ahead, a few updates from the team and what they got up to over the holiday break as well as the results of our recent Net Promoter Score survey.

I think I say this every year, but I cannot believe how quickly the end of this year has arrived - and what a year it has been. There has been plenty going on in New Zealand over the last 12 months and there is potentially a lot more to come on the Visa front in 2024. With a new coalition Government in place, who have a vastly different view of the world, we are all shuffling towards the edge of our seats to see what might be announced (I dont expect it to be soon however). \

We wind up the year with a bit of a recap and a look to the future. We also line up for more of our free immigration seminars in 2024 (the first one takes place in January) and we have a small (and very useful) gift available for our regular readers (more below or in the original email).

For a number of years now, we have moved towards a Visa system that measures skill by way of the salary being earned. While there are still assessments of occupations and duties, salaries and the amount you earn has become a key part of the Visa process.

Although this system was designed to simplify thing (mostly for INZ) it creates it’s own set of problems for applicants, as well as wider issues for wage rates generally. We take a look at how it works, why we do it and whether it is all about to change.

2023 has been a big year for everyone, including the team at Turner Hopkins. We made our long-awaited move to new premises in June, we rolled out our new, fresh branding, and our updated websites were also released in September.

It has been a year of significant change, but change focused on ensuring we can continue to deliver outstanding service to our clients, no matter where they are located.

It’s official, we have a new Government, consisting of (from left to right) the ACT Party, the National Party and New Zealand first. This is a significant first for New Zealand with three political parties sharing the reigns, something that our MMP system has never managed to produce, although we have had some close calls.

This election was was equally touch and go for a while, with no one sure as to whether we would need NZ First in the mix.