Immigration Minister Jonathan Coleman has criticised his department's initial decision to decline a heavily pregnant Lithuanian tourist's permit to stay in the country.
Jurga Skiauteris, 29, her husband Robertas, 34, and their six-year-old son, Leonardo, arrived in New Zealand in January on three-month visitor permits.
The family became overstayers when their permits expired on April 2.
Immigration New Zealand rejected two appeals for an extended permit, despite doctors advising that any travel could harm Mrs Skiauteris and her child.
Immigration NZ has since reviewed the decision and the woman has been offered a visitor's permit allowing her to remain in the country beyond the birth of her child.
"I believe that declining the permit was a poor decision by the department," Dr Coleman said.
"I am pleased that common sense has prevailed and that the woman has now been issued a permit allowing her to stay in New Zealand."
Immigration New Zealand chief executive Andrew Annakin told NZPA today numerous attempts to contact the family had been unsuccessful .
Dr Coleman said a recent Auditor-General's report into Immigration New Zealand raised serious concerns about decision-making processes within the department, and found an unacceptable variation in quality of decision-making between branches.
"The Auditor-General's report highlighted the need for improvement at all levels of the organisation. Substantial improvements to decision making and service as outlined in that report must be made," he said.
Mr Annakin said that as a general rule visitors and overstayers were not allowed to stay in New Zealand to give birth, but it (the Labour Department) accepted in rare circumstances humanitarian interests would necessitate a departure from policy, Mr Annakin said.
This was such a case, he said.
It was expected that the family would depart New Zealand as soon as practicable after the birth, he said.
NZPA