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Postcards from Paul, INZ’s Offshore Risk and Verification Manager
Since expressing an interest to manage the Moscow office 7 years ago, Immigration New Zealand’s Paul Pasley’s offshore posting journey has not stopped.
As a former Political Studies student, Paul Pasley was always keen to be posted overseas when he joined Immigration New Zealand (INZ) in 2016. The richness of cultures and being able to travel to new places a bit more easily made postings an attractive option for Paul, who has represented INZ in Moscow, Manila, Washington D.C, New Delhi and now Dubai.
Owning it for INZ
Whether it is organising high level negotiation meetings, helping a New Zealander with passport issues before they get on their plane, sorting out visas or working collaboratively with locally based teams, Paul has experienced and problem solved a wide range of immigration matters that have come his way. However, most of the day to day during the working week is just like being in New Zealand sometimes with a few variations.
“The time difference means inboxes are full by morning and meetings can be at weird hours. As part of a wider NZ Inc team (MFAT, NZTE etc.), there are also other issues we need to be across such as political situations that may have an impact on migration and trade delegations travelling to Aotearoa New Zealand,” says Paul.
“Being the main INZ representative at my posting, we get a lot of interest from Ambassadors, High Commissioners and other NZ Inc teams when immigration support is required. I am also there for INZ staff back home as a contact on the ground to provide urgent information on events or particular people in the countries we cover. It is a real opportunity to Pono me ti Tika – Own It, as at times there is significant pressure on my role and I have to step up and deliver what we can.”
The challenges of living overseas
There is often a perception of this offering a glamorous lifestyle as there is quite a bit of travel involved but living overseas does come with some challenges.
“We face time zone challenges for communication and where I am currently, 4 to 5 months of the year are so hot (45-50 degrees) even a 5-minute walk to public transport is like walking around in a sauna! It can be tough being away from family as well. It might take a while to settle but once we find a good group of friends and decorate our house, it feels like a home away from home.”
Fun and exploration outside of work
Outside of work, Paul and his wife are busy exploring the different galleries and museums.
“Weekends are a chance to explore and travel to other parts of a country. Each location has been a bit different. In Russia there were endless art galleries and museums, and towns close to Moscow to travel on trains to. In Manila and Dubai, it’s hot and there is less in the way of galleries – in fact, it’s malls, malls, malls. But both cities have nice beaches close to town and there is always an arty area to try and find. Being immersed in new cultures is really what makes the experience for us.”