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This study analyses discourses that migrant fathers in New Zealand draw on to explain their decision to have a child.

Little is known about migrant men's reproductive decisions in the context of contemporary/active fatherhood.

A discourse analytic research study.

Qualitative research was conducted in 2009 where Chinese and Indian migrant men took part in focus groups.

Fathers drew on two key discourses to understand how they became fathers. The first was fatherhood as a financial decision and the second was fatherhood as a natural process. These two discourses are not always congruent.

Understanding the discourses that shape men's decisions to have a child, will enhance nurses' capacity to provide appropriate care and support for migrant families.