Hope dashed at the stroke of a pen

I sympathise with Obrad Puskarica (Letters, March 13) about the service, or lack of it, from the Immigration Service. We planned to treat our young, universityeducated niece from the Philippines to a holiday here.

We, too, went to great lengths to provide details of our private lives on a 12-page sponsorship form signed by a JP, certified copies of our marriage certificate, proof of citizenship, houseownership papers, bank statements and the itinerary for a return trip. We had to courier them all to Manila.

Our niece completed a 20-page visa application form, provided a medical certificate and police clearance, and paid for a passport, the visa-application fee, and courier charges to have her passport returned.

We expected approval would be a formality, but our niece received a standard letter declining her application because ‘‘her financial and economic circumstances ... are not considered as a return incentive’’.

I’d have expected the service to offer this young, talented university graduate permanent residence, but, instead, it dashed her hopes, with a stroke of the pen, of a simple holiday.

I wonder what damage such a haughty attitude towards decent, hard-working foreigners does to New Zealand’s reputation. RUUD BROUWER

Napier