The family of a disabled man who was facing imminent deportation have been given a last-minute reprieve.
Twenty-year-old Sagar Narayan's application for residency had been rejected earlier this year, but his family credit a change of Government for allowing him to stay.
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Sager and his older brother, Suraj Narayan, share a loving bond.
"Sagar is an open-heart person," said Suraj.
"He goes and says hi to everyone. He's very welcoming and stuff - a very sweet boy, very keen to help anyone."
The brothers' connection has strengthened while the threat of Sager's deportation hung over the family.
For nine years the family fought to keep him here, but with just days until Christmas they've been told he can stay permanently
"I was surprised and feeling really happy. There's now so many things that Sagar can do," says Suraj.
"I was crying and everything," says his father, Lalit Narayan.
Sager has the mental capacity of a six-year-old and needs constant care.
"When I'm at work my kids are looking after him and he only knows his brother and sister and his father and mother - that's all," says Lalit.
Newshub first met the Narayan family back in October.
While his father Lalit and three siblings are all permanent residents here, Immigration New Zealand told the family Sager's intellectual disability was a burden on our health system and he had to go back to Fiji.
The family says immigration's change of heart is down to the change of Government.
"When the Labour-led Government came I was thinking that my son is going to get the residence here," says Lalit.
It was the Narayan family's last hope, with fears for the worst for what would happen to Sager if he were deported.
"Nobody is there," says Lalit. "Only my sister is there. She is sick mostly and my mum and dad passed away a long time ago."
The family is finally able to make plans for Sager's future, like looking at special education for him while they wait for the paperwork for his visa to come through in the new year.
Newshub.
