Thousands of Pacific Islanders - including a quarter of Samoa's population - are hoping for a new life in through the annual visa lotteries.
They are ready to wrench themselves from home for a New Zealand residence visa.
But not everyone whose name is drawn manages to turn the opportunity into a new life.
Philippa Tolley visited the Tongan capital Nukualofa to find out why.
Read and listen to the full documentary on RNZ Insight.
