born girl with high needs granted permanent residence after appeal
A child born in New Zealand to South African parents was granted permanent residency following an appeal to the Immigration and Protection Tribunal. The decision was made as an exception due to the child's severe neurological condition and specialized medical needs.
Why it matters
This case highlights the tension between strict immigration health requirements and humanitarian considerations for children born in the country.
The child's medical history listed 28 hospital admissions to Starship since 2019, including multiple admissions for respiratory illnesses. Photo / 123rf
A child born in New Zealand to South African parents faced having to leave the country permanently because she developed a severe neurological condition that was likely to place a burden on the health and education system.
The girl, who was diagnosed with the serious medical condition eight months after she was born in 2019, was initially on a visitor visa.
But she had been in New Zealand unlawfully since June 2021 until an interim visa was granted in June 2024 while her family, already residents, sought to fix the “extremely stressful” situation.
That application for permanent residency was declined by Immigration New Zealand (INZ) as the girl, who is now in a wheelchair and needs special treatment, did not have an acceptable standard of health.
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