Filipino Mum Wins Partnership Visa Battle After 30-Month Struggle

So here we are, folks—a Filipino mum has won the battle to stay in New Zealand. According to the latest immigration news, Charity Valdez, 31, a teacher from the rural mountains of the Philippines, has finally been granted her resident visa after more than two years of fighting. She’s got a Kiwi-born daughter, a husband nearly twice her age, and until now, the very real threat of deportation hanging over her.

Now, Immigration New Zealand initially tried to boot her out, claiming her marriage to Jojo Velasco, a 58-year-old New Zealand citizen, wasn’t genuine. What a load of bureaucratic nonsense, right? But after sleepless nights, endless paperwork, and a fight that would’ve broken lesser spirits, she’s now allowed to stay. And it’s about time, too.

What’s the real kicker? Valdez’s husband, Jojo, was at the point of no return—no chance he’d have been able to adjust to life in some remote village in the Philippines. And really, who can blame him? This couple met in 2020 in a sushi shop in Albany, for goodness’ sake, and they’ve built a life together here. Yet, despite all that, Immigration NZ initially couldn’t see the wood for the trees.

This is the system we’re dealing with—a system that drags families through the mud, only to eventually come around to the decision that any sensible person could have made in five minutes. Charity’s now staying, Jojo’s breathing a sigh of relief, and their little girl won’t grow up in a broken home. But let’s not forget the 30 months of stress and debt this family’s been put through.

Here’s hoping Immigration NZ takes this as a lesson in using a bit more compassion and common sense next time around. But I wouldn’t hold my breath.