A Filipino woman who was earlier told her health didn't fit the requirements for a work visa has been allowed to stay in New Zealand in a decision she describes as a "miracle" that'll give her family certainty.
Stiffany Adanza, 47, had earlier been told she didn't meet the acceptable standards of health required to be granted a post-study work visa because of the potential costs of her treatment for chronic myeloid leukaemia.
At the time the Green Party staffer couldn't understand why, given she was already being treated for cancer when she was first allowed to come to New Zealand with her husband and young daughter.
She'd argued that while the current version of the oral chemotherapy drug she was on was costly, there was a cheaper generic that would be available from October 1. Her health was also improving and her doctor anticipated she could be off her medication all together by the end of next year.
Despite this Adanza received two separate letters that indicated she was not eligible for the visa because of the cost her health care could pose to New Zealand.
But after the mother-of-one provided Immigration New Zealand (INZ) additional information around what she estimated her actual costs to be, the agency approved her visa.
In documentation seen by 1News the agency told Adanza that she was now deemed as being an "acceptable standard of health".
"This is due to new information released by PHARMAC on 30 April 2024 about the upcoming reduction in the cost of your medication, Dasatinib. This information was not available earlier in April when the medical assessor provided their previous medical opinion."
Adanza said she was grateful to the department for considering the new information.
"I consider this approval a miracle, our family loves our life in New Zealand and we are thankful that the door that was opened to us [first] in 2022 continues to be open for us," she said.
"I hope in the future a new process can be developed to prevent people like me from having gone through this experience."
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