When the Nuku'alofa branch of New Zealand Immigration Pacific Division celebrated the first birthday of the Pacific Division on January 11, the event was more than just wishing the Pacific Division a long life.

It was also farewell to Jan Jeffery who has been the Nuku'alofa branch manager during the past two and a half years. Jan's leaving at the end of the month will mark a new era when all managers in New Zealand Immigration's Pacific branches will be localized.

The new Tongan manager of the Nuku'alofa Branch is 'Ika Tameifuna, and his assistant is Feloni Tupou. Both Ika and Feloni have been living in New Zealand for number of years.

'Ika was not present at the birthday celebration, but his assistant Feloni gave a brief outline of some of the changes that will take place following the localizing of the staffing of the branch. She said that the other two main key people in the new branch structure are a person who will be responsible for Customer Service, and a Verification Officer.

"All decisions on residency applications will be made in Auckland," said Feloni, "but decisions on temporary visa applications will be made here."

The change in the staffing and the processing of visa applications, according to a statement from the New Zealand Department of Labour, was to improve customer service and to tighten its border security. The New Zealand government decision was based on a recent review of Immigration New Zealand services in the Pacific.

The review found that customer services, border security and information sharing in the region needed to improve; and that more should be done to help new migrants settle well in New Zealand.