Dad misses toddler's birthday, Christmas and first steps due to lengthy visa delays
They met while they were still in high school, married two years later and had a child.
But the promise of a dream life together was threatened by lengthy immigration delays that kept Rahul Sharma, 25, away from his young family for more than 18 months.
Liz Sharma is desperate to see her husband again, especially for their 19-month-old daughter, Alia, who can only keep in touch with her dad online.
INZ visa services manager Michael Carley said the department "acknowledges that it has taken longer than it should have to assess this application and apologises for the delay".
Best way to use leftovers?
I'm sure you've got some excess ham at home or cold roast potatoes.
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⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️