A British woman who flew back to the UK for her father's funeral is desperately trying to get back into New Zealand.
Sophie Farrow is doing a PhD at The Liggins Institute in Auckland, and lives there with her Kiwi partner. In April, while in lockdown in New Zealand, her father suffered a stroke.
"He sadly passed away so then I had to travel to the UK, and didn't really think of the implications of getting back into New Zealand at the time.
"I applied to New Zealand Immigration when I first got home, and I got rejected straight away."
Farrow has now applied eight times for a border exemption based on her relationship with a New Zealander and her visa for studying.
"I get rejected within 20 minutes of applying, it seems like the computer is just saying no.
"I don't know what to do. My partner is from Christchurch, but he's living in Auckland because of me. It's pretty tough - my life is in New Zealand."
Farrow said she's been offered PhD funding from New Zealand's Neurological Society, but can't get into the country to use it.
"Ultimately it's going to end up that I'll have to extend my PhD at the other end."
She said one option was for her partner to fly to the UK, then fly back to New Zealand with her and try getting into the country that way.
However she said that would cost over $10,000 because of flights and managed isolation charges.
