27 May 2009

Family's New Zealand visa application troubles causing deportation

A Lebanese family are facing deportation after their New Zealand visa application was rejected. After four years of applying for permanent residency in New Zealand, their New Zealand visa application was denied on the grounds of a family member's eyesight disability.

The Habr family started lodging their New Zealand visa application four years ago, and since then it has been through three case manager who each time had to restart the process.  While they were given hope that their New Zealand visa application would be approved for permanent residency, and each family member lived off a New Zealand work permit or New Zealand student visa, their final application was rejected because one of the daughters has partial blindness.

The two young girls have sent letters to New Zealand Immigration to refute the rejection, and have offered to pay all medical costs the health condition may incur, and the final review into the case is still awaiting a decision.

"We now have no expectations," electrical engineer Joseph Habr said.

"It has been six months since we applied. We don't know when or what it is going to be. I don't think that the process has served us well."

Associate Immigration Minister Kate Wilkinson has said through a spokesperson that the Habr family's appeal is still pending at the Residents Review Authority, and that the situation with the Habr's New Zealand visa application has become more complicated because of their decision to leave.

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The New Zealand Visa Bureau is an independent consulting company specialising in helping people with their New Zealand visa application.