US family mulls visa options

An American family’s last-ditch effort to resume living and working in New Zealand has been rejected by Associate Immigration Minister Scott Simpson.

Steve Jensen, wife Nancy and their four children had been based in Lower Hutt for the past four years, running Java Point Cafe, but were told in March they would have to go back to the United States.

Their plight was picked up by National list MP Chris Bishop, who earlier this month made a personal appeal to Simpson to look at the Jensens’ case.

Bishop learnt last week that his request for ministerial intervention had been rejected. But with the Jensen family already back in Houston, Texas, it took him a while to deliver the sombre message.

‘‘It wasn’t something I wanted to tell them in an email ... I’m disappointed and don’t agree with the decision.’’

Bishop said the problem appeared to be that they entered on an entrepreneur visa, under which they were required to show they had brought business and employment to the country.

A business plan for Java Point Cafe submitted when they first arrived in 2013 projected a 40 per cent increase in profit over the next three years.

The business had made it ‘‘75 per cent’’ of the way there, Jensen said, but it wasn’t enough to satisfy their residency requirements.

Despite the setback, Bishop said the family still had options available to them, including applying for a three-year extension to their existing visas, giving them more time to fulfil the profit requirements.

‘‘All I can do is advise on the options, but we definitely want them here in New Zealand,’’ Bishop said.

Simpson was approached for comment.