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Stranded for 3 Years: Visa Woes Halt Cook Islands Exit
13 Oct
Summary
- A foreign national has been stranded in the Cook Islands for three years.
- Her departure is blocked by denied transit visas from New Zealand and Australia.
- The woman previously held a New Zealand work visa and applied for asylum.
A 49-year-old foreign national has been stranded in the Cook Islands for three years, arriving on November 8, 2023, and being unable to depart since. Her situation stems from the denial of transit visas by both New Zealand and Australia, which are necessary for her to travel through their territories en route to her home country.
Cook Islands Immigration has actively sought solutions, with Principal Immigration Officer Chere Arthur writing to Immigration New Zealand in April 2025 to offer escorts and facilitate her journey. However, no progress has been made by Immigration New Zealand. Arthur emphasized that the Cook Islands government cannot control the transit visa decisions made by other nations.
The woman initially traveled to the Cook Islands after her husband's death and had previously held a work visa in New Zealand. While her asylum visa was being processed in New Zealand, she was advised to leave and return later. Her family is reportedly assisting her, but her return home is contingent on securing transit visas.
