Mr Paras said he moved his family to New Zealand in September 2007 after his wife convinced him that "money was not everything" and that the family should be closer together.
Before that Mr Paras was living a long way from home working in Saudi Arabia for many years.
He is now a telecommunications professional working for Chorus in Rotorua.
"My wife said we needed to be closer together as a family.
"It was a very good idea coming to New Zealand. We love living here and that's why we all decided to become citizens," Mr Paras said.
Another family becoming citizens were the Hughes family from England.
Steven Hughes, acting principal of Reporoa College, said he was offered a job by the then "lady mayoress" Sue Winters more than 10 years ago.
"We are now all well established in the education community here in Rotorua," Mr Hughes said.
His wife Gillian is the deputy principal at Kea Street Specialist School and his son James is in training to become a primary school teacher.
New citizens:
Mrs Ghunato Awomi - Indian, Mr Lalith Degambada - Sri Lankan, Mrs Damitha Makunda Gamage - Sri Lankan, Miss Dinuri Degambada - Sri Lankan, Mr Steven Hughes - British, Mrs Gillian Hughes - British, Mr James Hughes - British, Mr Ruwan Gamage - Sri Lankan, Mrs Upulie Hettiarachchi - Sri Lankan, Mrs Sandhya Kundal - Indian, Mrs Sylvia Eleanor Lee - British, Miss Manxia Li - China, Mr Ferdinand Paras - Filipino, Mrs Evelyn Magos Paras - Filipino, Mr Kent Paras - Filipino, Miss Kristia Paras - Filipino, Mr Richard Rehl Ahumada - Chilean, Mrs Mandy Rock - South African, Mrs Sarah Hurlston - British, Mr Christopher Hurlston - British, Miss Eleanor Hurlston - British, Miss Hui-Min Lo - Taiwanese, Mr Neil MacDonald - Australian, Mrs Saisunee Wellington - Thailand.
