14 Jan 2015

Church worker told too old to stay in NZ

7:32 pm on 14 January 2015

A church worker has been told she is too old to stay in the country.

The 59-year-old Singaporean woman has been working for her church in New Zealand since 2006.

She had turned 56 by the time a new visa rule came into effect allowing religious workers under 55 to apply for residence.

In an appeal to the Immigration and Protection Tribunal, her pastor made a case for allowing her to stay, saying she had taken a vow of poverty so would not become a burden on the taxpayer.

Another pastor had also said her skills were ones that only came with maturity.

However, the tribunal has ruled against the appeal.