Ruchira Ranasingha, a 50-year-old from Sri Lanka, has been unable to leave the Cook Islands for three years after attempting to obtain a work visa for New Zealand through an immigration consultant. She initially traveled to New Zealand on a visitor visa in December 2022 and later applied for asylum on grounds of threats from lenders. While her asylum claim was being processed, she obtained an open work visa and secured restaurant employment that offered to sponsor an employment visa.
When she learned that asylum seekers cannot apply for other visas while their applications are pending, an immigration consultant advised her to temporarily leave New Zealand to submit a fresh employment visa application from overseas. Ranasingha booked a short stay in the Cook Islands to pursue this strategy, but the visa application was rejected and her departure from New Zealand violated the terms of her existing visa. New Zealand authorities subsequently refused to grant her any future visas.
When Ranasingha attempted to return to Sri Lanka with an airline ticket, she was informed she needed a transit visa for New Zealand. Three applications for a New Zealand transit visa were denied, with authorities expressing concerns she would not leave the country. Four applications for Australian transit visas were also rejected. Alternative routes through Hawaii and Tahiti require biometric processing that can only be completed in person in New Zealand, creating a circular barrier to departure.
Ranasingha reports having spent thousands of dollars on visa applications and airline tickets without success. She faces added personal pressure as her son is scheduled to be married and her mother’s health has reportedly deteriorated. An immigration law specialist cited in the article indicated she had received substandard advice from unlicensed consultants rather than qualified lawyers. While locals and her hotel have provided accommodation and support, Ranasingha remains unable to find a legal pathway to leave the islands.
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