Vikesh Doolaub and his family. Photo / Janna Dixon

Vikesh Doolaub and his family. Photo / Janna Dixon

They love our clean, green image but are baffled by our tax laws - a comprehensive survey of migrants has revealed for the first time what new Kiwis like and loathe about Aotearoa.

The survey, carried out by the Department of Labour and Statistics New Zealand, is the biggest of its kind, tracking 7000 people over their first three years here.

About one in four migrants had experienced at least one incident of discrimination.

Those from Asia and in the "other" category were most likely to have experienced it in a public place or work setting.

"I guess that points to the fact that we still, as a country, have a way to go as far as really embracing the fact that people come from different backgrounds," said Dr Mary Dawson, executive director of the Auckland Regional Migrant Services (ARMS).

The survey breaks migrants down into those from the UK and Ireland, North Asia (China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, etc), South Asia (India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, etc), South East Asia, North America, South Africa, rest of Europe, Pacific and "other".

The first report, based on the six-month interviews, reveals 87 per cent felt settled in New Zealand, and 93 per cent were satisfied with life here.

Almost all had established new friendships. More than half settled in Auckland, 13 per cent go to Canterbury, 11 per cent to Wellington and 6 per cent to the Waikato.

More than two-thirds were employed and only 4 per cent were looking for work.

Some 62 per cent reported no difficulty in finding a job but the most common problem was a lack of New Zealand work experience.

Migrants' median income was $36,000, and 30 per cent reported feeling like they didn't have enough money to meet the cost of living in New Zealand.

Initial findings for the 18-month interviews show increasing signs of long-term settlement, such as property-owning.

Employment levels also rose, particularly among secondary migrants, who are usually spouses and family members of migrants who arrived under the skilled worker category.

Dawson said the research provided valuable information for the charitable trust, which offers a range of services to new migrants. "It gives us good pointers, but here might be a need for more detail."