Asians Flocking to New Zealand for a Better Life

New Zealand’s vibrant economy and tranquil lifestyle are attracting more migrants from Asia and elsewhere, with 40,000 newcomers expected to settle in the country this year.

When Elzerie Alcaide (pictured), 33,  moved to Wellington from Singapore in January, she swapped 12-hour workdays, vast mazes of shopping malls and a diet of takeaway food for nine-to-five hours, weekend drives in the countryside and home-cooked meals.

“Living in Singapore or Manila can be stressful,” said the Philippines-born quality assurance analyst who recently started working at accounting software developer Xero. “But in New Zealand you can have a good work-life balance, and the work environment is more family oriented, which is really nice.”

Recent data showed growth in New Zealand accelerated to its quickest pace in over six-years, driven largely by a building boom.

The proportion of overseas-born New Zealanders has been on the rise in the past 20 years – nearly a quarter of all New Zealand residents were born overseas in 2013, up from around 16 per cent in 1991.

Original article by Naomi Tajitsu, The Star Online, June 25, 2014.