Riya Mala 
[Photo: FILE]
A senior immigration officer with more than a decade of experience says Fiji’s first-ever extended induction program is already addressing long-standing gaps in officer training, offering a deeper and more practical approach to the country’s evolving border challenges.
Talei Suka, a Senior Immigration Officer with the Permits and Visa Division, is among 20 officers selected for the five-week Fiji Immigration Induction Program—an initiative she describes as both timely and necessary.
She says the program brings together officers from key divisions, including permits and visas, border security, and passport and citizenship, creating a rare opportunity for cross-unit learning and collaboration.
“For years, officers have said that two to three days of induction is simply not enough,” Suka said. “With the complexity of immigration trends today, we need more time to properly understand the work we do.”
Suka says their main goal is to learn and absorb as much knowledge as possible from the facilitators.
She revealed that participants are required to present what they have learned once they return to their respective teams a move aimed at strengthening knowledge-sharing across the Ministry.
“In the Permits and Visa Division, we have about 35 officers. When we go back, we will present and share what we’ve learned so others can benefit as well.”
The initiative is being welcomed as a pilot project that could reshape how immigration officers are trained in the future, shifting away from short, limited inductions to more structure and in-depth programs.
