Author: Vaibhav Gangan
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India business – a missed opportunity for NZ
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No other Indian prime minister has worked so extensively in building international relations than Modi – and one of his primary agendas has been attracting trade and investments. While one could debate Modi’s success rate in his efforts in the past 4 years since he took office, notable is the…
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Top 3 reasons to give up citizenship
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Many people around the world give up their citizenship for various reasons. Let’s look at the top reasons for giving up your citizenship and taking up citizenship of another country. This article is not about a particular country’s citizenship such as US citizenship or UK, Canada, Australia, Germany, France or…
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10 best NZ companies to work for
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Overland Footwear is the best company to work for in New Zealand. IBM Kenexa Best Workplaces in New Zealand survey reviewed 243 companies in New Zealand. Overland was the overall winner as well as winner in the Large Companies category (those employing 400 to 749 staff) in 2013. This was…
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Is NRI income from Indian assets taxable?
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Mohit has a three-bedroom apartment in Noida which is rented out for Rs 35,000 a month. He also has a share in agriculture land that was once owned by his father and uncles. He gets income from the land too. The rental income from the flat and from land is…
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Policy should encourage migration
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As New Zealand gets ready for the next election in a few weeks, it is no surprise that discussion around immigration is warming up, and enticing comments against ethnic communities are used to get political mileage, in an attempt to ride the xenophobia wave. Labour says its immigration policy will…
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Less-known NZ job websites to visit
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Most job seekers are already aware of Seek, and Trade Me Jobs – two of the most popular websites to visit if you are looking for a job in New Zealand. Both these websites publish thousands of jobs every week – and most New Zealand employers advertise on these sites…
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Which is the world’s most useful passport? Not NZ
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Want to know which country’s passport gives you visa-free entry to most countries around the world? Read on. For people who love to travel (who doesn’t?), having a passport that qualifies for visa-free entry to popular tourist destinations comes very handy. In fact, that is the main reason why most…
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Lawyer found guilty of immigration fraud
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A former New Zealand lawyer has been found guilty of 93 immigration-related charges at Auckland District Court. Albany-based Richard James Martin is found guilty of forgery, giving false or misleading information to an immigration officer, and providing immigration advice without immigration license or exemption for license. Between May 2009 and…
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Conference to discuss migrant voting in NZ
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Discussing ways of encouraging ethnic communities to vote in the upcoming elections is one of matters on the agenda for an ethnic conference in Wellington this weekend. The annual general meeting of Multicultural New Zealand, the Federation of Multicultural Councils, will celebrate its 25th anniversary. Also on the agenda is…
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India’s zest for fair skin creates odd jobs for white girls
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Morgan Kane is not her real name. When she decided to share her story online, she chose a pen name. As many white girls working in India do – change their name for work. I am not referring to shady or hanky-panky work – though some of the work borders…
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How many deaths before drug laws tightened?
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Arun Kumar migrated to New Zealand from Fiji for a ‘safer’ future for him and his family. The morning of Tuesday 10 June 2014 turned out to be his last day in the country that he chose to bring up his children in. At about 7am, two young boys, aged…
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Too many car crashes? Blame Asian tourists
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New Zealand media’s blame game seems to have one target for all problems – from rising house prices to job shortages, and the latest in the list is – road accidents. House prices going up? Those Asians are buying expensive houses. (Don’t ask me why North Shore, with predominantly European…
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No English? No problem: App To Improve Doctor-Patient dialogue
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A New Zealand clinician has developed a mobile app to improve communication between patients with limited English skills, and their medical staff. The iOS app could be downloaded by hospital staff on their iPad and used to either ask questions, or explain treatment to patients. Similarly, patients can use the…
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Can you save $2550 by carpooling?
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The week beginning 9 June marks Kiwi Carpooling Week in New Zealand, and Auckland Transport wants to encourage drivers to consider car-pooling as an environment-friendly gesture which also saves money. I asked Auckland Transport – does carpooling really save money? Do they have any numbers to support the claim? Auckland…
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How to spot immigration scams
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New Zealand is a country of dreams for many poor families in rural India, who see the Land of Long White Cloud as their escape destination from years of toil and turmoil. In their desperation, these migrants are willing to go to any length to secure a visa to New…
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New laws for dispersing ashes in NZ concerning
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The religious Indian practice of scattering the ashes of a loved one after cremation may become costlier to follow in Auckland — New Zealand’s largest city and home to the largest group of Indians in the country. Auckland Council is considering a by-law which, if approved, will require family members…
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Indian words that confuse foreigners
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When I first visited New Zealand, I asked for directions to the nearest petrol pump and was greeted by confused looks. Apparently, what I was looking for was a gas station, where you get gas, not petrol. There are many such words that we Indians regularly use which are uncommon…
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New to New Zealand? Know these Kiwi phrases and slang
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When someone first asked me, “Do you have a brolly? It’s raining!” I was as clueless as a pirate wearing two eye-patches. Kiwi slang can be daunting not just for new migrants but seasoned settlers. Don’t get caught off guard at the next work barbie. (Read on if you are…
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Want to earn $8000 from home? Get ready to be scammed
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“A single mother earned $8000 from Google Adsense in one month. Find out how!” says an internet advertisement, targeting unsuspecting prospects. New Zealand is hit by many internet scams, with the latest being ‘work from home‘ or ‘part-time’ job scams, which typically target students or at-home mothers. “If it sounds…
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Want to stay young? Learn more languages
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Here’s good news for most Indians who are bilingual. In a study conducted by the UK’s University of Edinburgh, it was found that those who spoke more than one language were able to slow down the aging of their brain. What is more reassuring is that the additional language could…