KEY POINTS:
Being born two weeks early cost Rafaela Lat her New Zealand citizenship.
Now, the Philippine immigrant parents of the 20-month-old baby, Cary and Ruby Lat, said they will be lodging an appeal to the Internal Affairs Minister - hoping that the spirit of the 60th anniversary of New
Zealand citizenship will move him to grant her the New Zealand citizenship she missed out on.
Today marks the anniversary of New Zealand citizenship since the act came into force when New Zealanders became New Zealand citizens, and not British subjects.
Rafaela was born at Auckland Hospital in March 2007, but because of a delay by immigration on rubber stamping her parents' passports with their already approved residencies, she was given only a visitor's visa, and not citizenship at birth.
"Rafaela is more Kiwi than anything else and New Zealand is the only home she knows," said Mr Lat.
"I hope that the minister will grant her the citizenship she should have been given at birth," he said.
Mr and Mrs Lat's permanent residencies were approved on February 26, 2007, and they submitted their passports to be stamped by immigration the next day. Rafaela was born on March 12, two weeks before their passports were stamped and returned to them on March 29, 2007.
"Ironically, that was the date Rafaela was supposed to be due, and had she not popped out early, we wouldn't be in this situation," said Mrs Lat.
But as they battle for Rafaela to get her New Zealand citizenship, others like Indian immigrant Nilesh Patel are thrilled at the prospect of becoming citizens in this "auspicious year".
"I am excited enough about becoming a true Kiwi, but for it to happen at such a significant time makes it all the more exciting," said Mr Patel, 33, who moved to New Zealand in 2001 to be reunited with his elder siblings and mother.
He applied to become a New Zealand citizen in May, and had been told that he could be among the first to be granted citizenship this year.
Minister for Internal Affairs Richard Worth said the creation of New Zealand citizenship was an important step in the path to independence.
* NZ citizenship
All children born in New Zealand used to become citizens automatically under the British Nationality and New Zealand Citizenship Act 1948.
The law changed in 2006. Since then at least one of the parents has to be either a New Zealand citizen or resident for children born in New Zealand to acquire citizenship.
