Turner Hopkins Law

18/06/2026

Well that was a lengthy piece to write!

The Government has finally released the SMC update rules - not a press release, or a website snapshot, but the full set of official policy criteria - all 57 complex pages of it.

As usual, there are winners and losers, but in this fairly major change, there appear to be slightly more winners. Two new SMC pathways to plug some gaps, simplified wage rate assessments, new lists to tighten up on problem occupations and a bigger focus on what constitutes "genuine employment".

This is possibly the biggest set of changes we have seen in quite some time and so there is a fair bit to digest. This week's article from the Turner Hopkins Immigration Specialists team tackles it all head on. It's a lengthy read, but for anyone considering a future application under any of our skilled migrant pathways - it will be well worth it.

Full article here: https://www.turnerhopkinsimmigration.co.nz/news/smc-updates-released

The policy folks have had the hammers, saws and masking tape out again, and the new Skilled Migrant Category rules have now, finally, been released. They are not quite live yet - the official start date is 24 August 2026 - but we now have the final version of what is coming, and there is quite a b

18/06/2026

Further updates have been released for the SMC changes due out in August of this year. Most of these are fairly standard and simply clarify how the new pathways will work, however one item in the list (bearing in mind we don't have the full instructions yet) is the inability for applicants to use self-employed work experience from offshore as part of their work experience claim.

A challenge with policy that is drip-fed like this, is that the initial announcements often create a false impression of what the end result will actually look like and for applicants that means some may end up missing out entirely.

The rationale, is that self-employed experience is harder to prove than employed experience - a stance that in my view sacrifices some really good quality applicants in favor of making someone else's job a bit easier. Not exactly how policy should be designed.

Applicants in those scenarios can still qualify, but may have to spend more time working in New Zealand to qualify under the new pathways or utilise the existing points based options.

More detail to come folks and we will be preparing a full briefing once the formal rules are released.

For information on these changes, contact the team at Turner Hopkins Immigration Specialists today (www.turnerhopkinsimmigration.co.nz).

15/06/2026

As winter approaches, many of us start turning our minds to the practical things: checking the gutters, finding the warm coats, pretending we know how to work the timer on the heat pump, and wondering why the school term always seems to end at exactly the busiest possible time of the year.

It is also a sensible time to take stock of the legal arrangements that sit quietly in the background of everyday life - until they suddenly do not. Property decisions, parenting arrangements, relationship changes, and family obligations all have a habit of becoming more stressful when people are busy, tired, or trying to make plans around work, school holidays, travel, and the unpredictable and cooler weather.

We tackle these details and more in our June newsletter: https://www.turnerhopkins.co.nz/news/june-2026-newsletter

12/06/2026

The Active Investor Plus Visa is back holding on to the spotlight - and for good reason. The current settings give investors two clear pathways:

⚫ Growth Category — NZD $5 million, 3-year investment period, more active investment focus.
⚫ Balanced Category — NZD $10 million, 5-year investment period, wider investment options.

On paper, it looks simple. In practice, the real work sits in the detail: proving the lawful source of funds, transferring money correctly, choosing acceptable investments, and keeping those investments compliant throughout the required period.

There is always debate around investor visas. Fairness, economic impact, and whether the policy goes far enough, or too far, are all valid questions.

But overall, this policy is doing something important: making New Zealand more competitive for serious investors who can bring capital, experience, networks and long-term opportunity.

The settings may continue to evolve, but right now the message is clear: New Zealand is open to the right investors.

At Turner Hopkins Immigration Specialists, we help investors understand the pathway, plan the process, and avoid expensive mistakes before they happen.

If New Zealand is part of your future planning, now is the time to get advice.

https://www.turnerhopkinsimmigration.co.nz/news/the-active-investor-visa

he Active Investor Visa is hitting its strides, having been in operation for just over 12 months. This is of course the reinvented and highly modified version of the policy that was rolled out by the Labour Party previously. That earlier version was overly complex, too restrictive and required a deg

10/06/2026

The future of our skilled migrant category (SMC) is about to be rewritten, with new pathways being released, reductions in the work experience required, more points for NZ masters degrees, amber and red lists for certain occupations and a whole host of other policy tweaks and updates.

This will have a fair few people trying to work out where they fit, whether they have a new or quicker pathway or if they might have just been bumped off the list.

There is going to be plenty of confusion when these updates are rolled out, because whilst INZ have given some indication as to what the changes mean, the rules will always have a few twists and turns to navigate. Even for those on an existing pathway to residence, there could be some surprises along the way.

The team at Turner Hopkins Immigration Specialists are on hand to help set you up on the right path. We eat, breathe and occasionally dream about policy and as soon as those rules are released (which appears will happen fairly soon), we can help clear the fog and explain the details in plain English.

With over two decades in the immigration system, I know my way around the rules, as do my colleagues Nadia Herbst and Sejoo Han and we will be available to walk you through it.

Don't leave it guesswork or assumptions, book a time to speak with us and we will make sure you understand how all these changes apply to you and your family.

Visit our website for contact information, our online full assessment form, or email us: [email protected] for details.

08/06/2026

The highly anticipated Skilled Migrant Category changes are fast approaching - scheduled to be released in to the wild on 24 August 2026, that is just a little over two and a half months away.

There will be quite a few people lining up to compete within one of the two new pathways (skilled work experience and trades and technicians), and for many migrants this will be a welcome relief, given up until now, there was no way forward for them to achieve residence.

For these applicants, understanding the formal rules however, will be really important and up until know those rules have yet to be released. INZ has released the basic key details via the website, but as always the devil will be in the detail and that detail will be really important in determining if this pathway works for them.

While we don't have the rules in place yet, there is also a fair bit that needs to be checked in terms of previous work history in New Zealand, holding the required pay-rate over those two years and having the evidence to support either the offshore work experience or qualifications if required.

If you are considering a run at either of these two pathways or any of our SMC options, then get in touch with the team at Turner Hopkins Immigration Specialists today to find out, how you can be best prepared to cross the finish line.

03/06/2026

The Investor Visa has been around for decades, in various forms, and on every iteration of this category of visa, we see a crop of new "experts" springing up, a little bit like the weeds in your driveway, that just won't go away.

These people understand funds, they might understand capital, some understand New Zealand’s need for offshore investment. However understanding the migrant investor market is another thing entirely.

A migrant investor is not simply a chequebook with a passport. They are usually weighing residence options, family security, tax exposure, succession planning, education, political risk, asset protection, lifestyle, currency movement, exit options, and whether New Zealand feels like a serious enough option.

The Active Investor Plus Visa is not just an investment product. It is an immigration product with investment settings wrapped around it. New Zealand’s previous settings struggled because they were too narrow, too risky for many applicants, and too disconnected from how high-net-worth families actually make migration decisions.

The new settings are more attractive, but they still require careful handling. Investor migrants are not lining up because they have always dreamed of our managed fund sector. They are coming because New Zealand can offer stability, safety, education, space, governance, and a Plan B in an increasingly complex world. The investment must make sense, but the migration story has to make sense first.

This is where some of the current commentary becomes a little thin. There is a growing assumption that if we simply point wealthy migrants toward the “right” local investment, the money will flow. That is not how this market works.

These applicants compare jurisdictions, they take tax advice in multiple countries, they worry about liquidity. They worry about regulatory changes after arrival. They worry about whether New Zealand actually wants them here, or merely wants their capital.

So yes, we should absolutely talk about how Active Investor Plus can support New Zealand businesses and we should talk about productive capital, direct investment, philanthropy, funds, and genuine economic benefit, but we should also stop pretending that investor migration is simple.

The countries that do this well understand the investor, the family, the immigration pathway, and the psychology of relocation. The countries that do it badly design policy for the investor they wish existed.

New Zealand has a real opportunity here, but only if the discussion is led by people who understand both sides of the transaction. Capital is only one half of the story. Migration is the other half.

28/05/2026

On Wednesday, the team at Turner Hopkins hosted our annual Pink Ribbon Breakfast, supported by a number of local businesses.

The event was a fantastic success, raising awareness and funds for a very worthy cause.

A massive thank you to Kate Chivers for coordinating the event, and several of our staff, Sue Williams-Warren, Samantha Davey, Anna Rippon and Luis Paulo Santana De Mattos who spent time preparing the venue.

Turner Hopkins Law is proud to work alongside local businesses in supporting the Breast Cancer Foundation NZ with the incredibly valuable work they do.

26/05/2026

The last minute visa application...

Nothing can drive you more crazy than racing to beat that last minute visa deadline. We obviously try to avoid that here, and work closely with clients to prepare them well in advance - however we sometimes do have people who turn up at the eleventh hour, needing to file something, either to stay lawful or more recently to beat a policy change.

This week see's people rushing to file Work Visas ahead of the 01 June English language changes for Skill Level 3 Work Visas.

Policy changes aren't always the reason for the last-minute panic though...often it is just life getting in the way, maybe the financial burdens of paying for further visas, or waiting on other documents to arrive, in order to file everything complete and ready to go. I have even had applicants who sheepishly admit that they forgot their visa was about to expire.

The problem with the last minute rush to file something, is that it often means things are left out, mistakes are made and then ultimately the application heads for a decline.

In a perfect world, applicants would file well-prepared, ahead of time and with all the documents in place. The world is however far from perfect and so things can't get messy.

If you are in that situation though, your application has to be handled even more carefully, with explanations as to why documents are missing and so forth.

If you are faced with that last minute panic to submit an application, it pays to get some advice on what you can and cant do and what your alternative options might be, if filing the new application simply won't work.

The team at Turner Hopkins Immigration Specialists can help and can identify the right way to deal with that last minute situation.

Get in touch with us today ([email protected] or via our website: www.turnerhopkinsimmigration.co.nz).

19/05/2026

Buying a home in New Zealand is rarely just about finding the right property.

There is the finance. The legal work. The paperwork. The deadlines. The fine print. The “surely this will be straightforward” moment, usually followed by several emails proving otherwise.

That is why we are pleased to be joining Mortgage Lab for an event designed to help people connect, learn, and get practical guidance on what they need to know before taking the next step.

From lending and mortgage strategy through to the legal side of buying property, this session is about giving people clear, useful information before decisions are made, contracts are signed, and avoidable stress becomes expensive.

At Turner Hopkins Law, we know that good advice early can make a significant difference. Property transactions move quickly, and the best time to understand your obligations is before you are already committed.

We look forward to being part of the conversation with Mortgage Lab and helping attendees approach the process with more confidence and fewer surprises.

Because surprises are lovely at birthdays. Less so in property law

Register here: https://FirstHomeBuyerEvening.eventbrite.co.nz

Kate Chivers - Partner at Turner Hopkins Law
hashtag