How we help
Our support is free, and we work with you case by case. Nothing here costs anything, and no question is too small.
Migrant Connections Taranaki is a point of contact for migrants, cross-cultural families and international students who choose to make Taranaki home. We support both skilled and non-skilled migrants and their families, and we've been doing it since 2014.
Everyone arrives with a different set of questions. Some people need help understanding a tax form. Some need to find work, or get a qualification recognised. Some just want to meet someone who speaks their language. We start with whatever matters most to you.
One-on-one help for you and your family, in person, over the phone or by email. We listen first, then work with you for successful outcomes. Support continues for as long as it's useful, not just on the day you arrive.
This is available to anyone settling in Taranaki, whatever your age, culture or background.
We run regular orientation programmes, information sessions and workshops for migrants and families across the region. Topics include:
Sessions are free. Get in touch to find out what's coming up.
Understanding how things work in Aotearoa New Zealand makes settling in easier. We offer guidance on local customs and expectations, including Treaty of Waitangi awareness from both migrant and local perspectives.
We also work the other way round, helping local organisations and workplaces understand the communities they're welcoming.
Language should never be the reason you miss out on help. We can connect you with professionally trained translators and interpreters working in New Plymouth and across the region.
If English is difficult for you, contact us anyway. We'll find a way to communicate.
Settling somewhere new is much easier when you know people. We can put you in touch with others who speak your language or come from your part of the world, and with people who have already made the move and come out the other side.
We also work alongside the Migrant Women's and Newcomers network at Puke Ariki Library, which is a good way for your whole family to meet people from different cultures.
We work with Taranaki employers as well as migrants. If you've recruited someone from overseas, how well their family settles is often what decides whether they stay.
We help by supporting the whole family into the community, not just the employee into the job, and by helping workplaces understand the cultures they're bringing in.
We don't try to do everything ourselves. Where another organisation is better placed to help, we'll connect you with them. We work alongside local providers, government agencies, not-for-profits, businesses and community groups across Taranaki.
That's completely normal. Get in touch and we'll work it out together.
