Migrant Stories

Resn - Newcomers give Wellington digital interactive edge

Wellington-based Resn, creative digital partner of leading brands and advertising agencies worldwide, needed to recruit flash developers and designers who are on the long term skills shortages list. Resn has been proactively recruiting from overseas, successfully bringing in three migrants thus far.

Iain Shaw - Market Research Analyst from Scotland

Iain Shaw hails from Scotland and is employed by 4RF as a Market Research Analyst. He decided to settle in New Zealand because of the high quality of life, the outdoor activities available, and being from Scotland he finds the weather here a huge improvement!

Vincenzo Paparelle - Chef from Italy

It’s a case of second time lucky for Italian, Vincenzo Paparelle who works as chef at Soprano Ristorante restaurant on the Kapiti coast.
Two years ago, Vincenzo arrived in New Zealand eager to settle into what he believed was  ‘the last paradise in the world’.  He had trained as a chef in Australia at an international Cooking School and picked up a good bit of English there. 

With a one year working visa, he managed to get a job at a restaurant in Paraparumu but it went bankrupt and as he had no security without a job any longer, he had just one month to leave the country.
It might have left a bitter taste but on the contrary, Vincenzo was keener than ever to get back to New Zealand and the Kapiti coast.   He was in luck, thanks to the good friendship he’d made with Italian restaurant owner Corrado Ronchetti.
“Corrado contacted me back in Italy and asked if I wanted to come back and work for him in his restaurant Soprano’s in Paraparumu Beach.  He was willing to me my sponsor, so I was able to apply for another working visa.”
“Having a sponsor makes the application process much quicker and smoother and within a month of re-applying I was winging my way back to the Wellington region and a new job waiting for me at Soprano’s.”

 Vincenzo is from Bari, a coastal city on the Adriatic Coast in Southern Italy.  A stepping-off point to Greece, it’s a busy, bustling industrial town and apart from being seaside, Bari is a world away from the slow paced, quiet lifestyle he now enjoys in Kapiti.  
“I’m happy here because there are not too many people, it’s safe and there is no corruption.
“ When I was in Australia, I started to learn English.  It takes practise, like anything. You start with not much and slowly you get better.  I can even hear the difference between the Aussies and Kiwis now!”
Vincenzo works six nights a week at popular Soprano’s in Paraparaumu Beach serving up Italian food tailored for the kiwi palate.  Owned by Corrado and his Kiwi wife, Annemarie Tiffen, Soprano’s is known for its warmth and the great times shared by people eating together.
“It is a great place to work, I try to go the extra mile and it makes my night to see satisfied customers.”    This means serving up what the customers want.   “In Italy, we taste with our tongue, but here, Kiwis taste with their eyes!  They like colour and quantity on their plates.”

Vincenzo loves experimenting with the variety of fresh fish available.  He believes eating fresh, local and simply prepared food is the best. 
“When I’m not working, I cook for myself.  Mostly fish and vegetables and I make my own bread.”
Sunday is Vincenzo’s day away from the restaurant and he likes to spend it exploring the Coast or heading into the Capital city, Wellington.
And the future? 
“I’m busy now and enjoy my job and life in Kapiti.  In a year, when my visa expires, who knows?  I may be able to apply for permanent residency.   It wouldn’t be a bad thing being able to live in the last paradise in the world!”

Annie Rastello - Project Manager from France

Annie Rastello is a Project Manager at 4RF. Originally from France, Annie moved to New Zealand from six years in the US because she was attracted by the fact that there are fewer people here than in many other English speaking countries.

Paul D’souza - Chef from India

Monsoon Poon is a restaurant located right in the heart of Wellington’s Courtenay Place cuisine precinct. One fifth of its workforce is migrants.

Mark Hussey - Emergency Doctor from The United Kingdom

Wellington's lifestyle and its people are unbeatable, according to UK-born emergency doctor Mark Hussey.

Cecile Diamante - IT Analyst from the Philippines

Wellington’s walkability and friendliness wowed Filipino IT analyst Cecile Diamante from her first moments in the city.

Professor Jeroen Douwes – Co-Director from the Netherlands

“This may come as a surprise to many Wellingtonians,” he says,“but I prefer the climate here with its mild winters.”

Petr Tobias – Anaesthetist from the Czech Republic

Its a long journey from the Czech Republic to Masterton, and for Petr Tobias, it was one that was a long time coming.

Carlos Zevallos –Beekeeper from Peru

It was the loud buzz of thousands of honey bees, music to a commercial apiarist ears which enticed Carlos Zevallos from his native Peru to the temperate shores of New Zealand.

Luca Fascione – Software engineer from Italy

It is not often that the Wellington wind gets good press so when Luca Fascione mentioned he loves the wind a further explanation was needed.

Ray and Diane Cherrell – diesel truck mechanic from UK

Ray and Diane Cherrell immigrated to New Zealand from Lincolnshire, England, in 2006. ‘We’d visited Auckland on holiday in 2002 –it rained every day but it didn’t put us off..”

Angela Ballantyne & Ryan Orange – academic & policy strategist, Kiwis returned.

After 10 years away, expatriates Ryan Orange and Angela Ballantyne were nervous that Wellington would not live up to their expectations on their return.

Cynthia Patterson – CIO from United States

“We wanted to live in a more progressive-minded society. Australia was too much like a mini-US, Canada was too cold, but luckily New Zealand was perfect.”

Desi Ramoo – Scientist from United Kingdom

“I’ve been lucky but when you are moving your family from one side of the world to the other it is important to make sure you know what you are getting yourself into, make sure everything is in writing.... "

Thomas Kuhne – University lecturer from Germany

“Wellington is a fantastic city with very friendly, relaxed people. We love the natural scenery and the fact it isn’t crowded at all.”

Gilbert Sanseau – Software engineer from France

It takes a certain kind of person to find the south of France boring but luckily for Wellington that is exactly what Gilbert Sanseau and his partner found.

Jitendra Bothara – Seismic engineer from Nepal

Back in 1993 Jitendra Bothara was in Nepal working on an earthquake engineering project when he met two men who would change his life. Beca directors Dr Richard Sharpe and Rob Jury.

Kation Cai – Banking consultant from China

Seven years ago Kation Cai set out on an epic journey. His goal, to learn English. Spurred on by the competitive cost of living and study, the friendliness of New Zealanders and the breathtaking environment, Kation made the 11,000km journey from Guangdong to Wellington.

Heli Matileinen – Research scientist from Finland

Heli and her husband, Mika spent two years in California while Heli was doing post doctoral research in breast cancer targeting but despite the sunny climes, America wasn’t where they wanted to settle and they applied for residency in New Zealand.