Pregnant overstayer given visa extension

Jurga Skiauteris with her 6-year-old son Leonardo. Photo / Paul Estcourt

Pregnant Lithuanian Jurga Skiauteris says she "believes in people again" after Immigration New Zealand backed down from its orders for her to get out of the country.

Following the Herald's report yesterday, Mrs Skiauteris, 29, was granted a nine-month visitor's visa - backdated to her date of arrival - to stay in New Zealand and give birth, because of risks to her and her baby's health.

This was an about-turn from an earlier Immigration order for her to "leave immediately" after the department refused to extend her three-month visitor's permit and rejected two appeals from her husband.

"After such a long battle with Immigration, I was starting to wonder if anyone had a heart any more. But everything that happened today has really helped me believe in people again," said Mrs Skiauteris.

"Now that I have one less worry, I want to just concentrate on resting and having my baby."

Mrs Skiauteris arrived in January with her husband, Robertas, 34, and their 6-year-old son, Leonardo, on visitors' permits. But they became overstayers when Immigration refused to extend their permits after they expired on April 2.

Immigration declined their application because it said Mrs Skiauteris was "not of an acceptable standard of health" and because she would require high-cost pharmaceuticals and hospital care during her stay in New Zealand.

The department also said it did not believe the family were bona fide applicants, or that they were in New Zealand for a lawful purpose.

During a routine medical checkup in March, doctors found complications in Mrs Skiauteris' pregnancy and had advised her to be near medical help and bed-rest to avoid pre-term labour which could result in the death of her child.

Head of Immigration Andrew Annakin said that as a general rule, visitors and overstayers were not allowed to stay in New Zealand to give birth, but the Labour Department accepted that in rare circumstances humanitarian interests would necessitate a departure from policy.

He said this was such a case, but numerous attempts by Immigration to contact the family had not succeeded.

Mr Skiauteris, who has also been offered a permit, said he was surprised at Mr Annakin's claims -since Immigration had all his contact details in New Zealand, including email, cell-phone number and physical address.

"But it really doesn't matter, because this is just a whole load off our shoulders and we want to just look forward to having our baby safely," Mr Skiauteris said.

With their permits now extended to October 2, Mr Skiauteris said they hoped to "pick up where we left off" and tour New Zealand as a family after the birth.

Immigration Minister Jonathan Coleman yesterday slammed the earlier Immigration decision as a "poor one".

"I am pleased that common sense has prevailed and that the woman has now been issued a permit allowing her to stay in New Zealand."