“I was born in the Czech Republic, at a time when it was still under communist rule. My parents made the brave choice of wanting a better life for their children and my family fled the country in 1982, not even telling their own families of their plans to leave. One suitcase for five people was all we had between us. We crossed the Austrian border by vehicle, and once we crossed, I remember how my mother collapsed in relief as we were now “free”,” says Romana, Immigration Officer. 

“We were in a refugee camp in Traiskirchen while the paperwork was organised for us to gain refugee status in South Africa. Even though I was young at the time, I remember sharing a room with other families who were like us, searching for a better life. In the first week of living in the camp, we didn’t even go outside the room as we feared that we would be caught.”

“This year’s World Refugee Day had the theme of ‘Hope away from Home. A world where refugees are always included’ and I would like to acknowledge the struggles my parents went through to provide my siblings and I a better life. Having no identity, no country and renouncing everything they had accomplished and to leave all their loved ones behind were major sacrifices they had to make to start a new life under a different flag.” 

Working to make a difference

Romana is part of a team of 11 that assesses visas, working together with the Immigration Manager, Technical advisors, Verification team, Senior Immigration officers and the Resolution and Compliance team. Whether its work, student or residence visas, the team has got it covered.

“I absolutely love my job (even on the bad days). Knowing that I have a great team who connect so well together and knowing that what I do makes a difference in someone’s life, is what gets me excited to go to work. I also like the diversity of my role as each day is different and each case has its own unique story. Some cases are more challenging than others, and it often forces you to think outside of the box. It feels like every day I am learning something different, and as the times change, so does my role and work type.”

“As a public servant, I always work to make a positive difference to New Zealanders and in this role, I’m able to just that. The visas I assess boosts the economy with people who have specialised jobs, it’s great for tourism and it also brings families together. I also ensure that the people coming to the country are doing so with good intentions and not to harm the reputation of Aotearoa New Zealand.”

Family, football and food

“Outside of work, I like to spend time with my family as they are incredibly important to me, I like to go watch football with my fiancé and I can make a mean cheesecake!  I am also a self taught painter and enjoy doing something creative and something that I can lose myself in. I have sold over 50 paintings in the last few years which for me, is quite the achievement,” says Romana.