Auckland, NZ – Tongan nationals Patrick Sese Takau and his wife, Lolohea Faonelua Takau, have been granted New Zealand residence visas after a gruelling two-and-a-half-year journey marked by medical hardship and an immigration battle.
The couple arrived in New Zealand from Tonga on 14 November 2022 to visit their children, grandchildren, and extended family.
However, their plans took a devastating turn just weeks later when Lolohea was rushed to the hospital in December of the same year.
Diagnosed with a severe kidney condition, she was forced to undergo dialysis three times a week, leaving the family in distress.
Facing the prospect of separation or returning to Tonga, where consistent dialysis treatment is difficult to access, the Takau family turned to Koli Vānisi and his Auckland-based Pacific Immigration & Consultancy Limited for help.
The firm lodged a residence visa application on humanitarian grounds, arguing that Lolohea’s survival depended on New Zealand’s healthcare system and that deporting the couple would tear their family apart.
After months of legal efforts, the Immigration Protection Tribunal ruled in their favour, and the Associate Minister of Immigration approved the visas as an exception to standard immigration rules.
In a letter dated 19 May 2025, Immigration New Zealand confirmed:
“I am pleased to advise that the Associate Minister of Immigration has now considered the Tribunal’s decision and on 15 May 2025 granted your client and family member a residence application, resident visas as an exception to residence instructions.”
The visas were finalized on 11 June 2025, allowing the elderly Tongan couple to remain in New Zealand permanently.
Contacting Kaniva News, Vənisi stated: “This decision recognizes our services and our ability to help members of our community who are struggling with immigration needs.”
