01.11.2026 23:30
Ruchira Ranasinghe, a 50-year-old Sri Lankan, has been stranded in the Cook Islands in the Pacific Ocean for about 3 years after being unable to obtain the transit visa she needs to return to her country. Unable to reach home due to rejections from New Zealand and Australia, the woman also faces the risk of not being able to attend her son's wedding, which will take place in November.
Ruchira Ranasinghe, a 50-year-old Sri Lankan woman, has been stranded in the Cook Islands in the Pacific Ocean for nearly three years after being unable to obtain the transit visa she needed to return to her country. Unable to reach home due to rejections from New Zealand and Australia, the woman also faces the risk of being unable to attend her son's wedding, which is planned for November.
SHE LEFT NEW ZEALAND AND COULD NOT RETURN
According to a BBC report, Ranasinghe went to New Zealand in December 2022 on a two-month visitor visa. She applied for asylum there, and while her application was being assessed, she received a work permit and started working at a restaurant.
Ranasinghe stated that the restaurant agreed to sponsor her for a work visa. After her application was rejected, on the advice of an immigration adviser, she decided to leave New Zealand and reapply from another country.
The woman went to the Cook Islands on November 8, 2023, and after her work visa application was also rejected, she wanted to return to Sri Lanka. However, leaving New Zealand caused her to violate the conditions of her visa linked to her asylum application. This created an obstacle to her re-entry into the country.
TRANSIT VISA APPLICATIONS REJECTED SEVEN TIMES
To reach Sri Lanka, Ranasinghe tried traveling through New Zealand and applied for a transit visa to that country three times. All her applications were rejected.
The woman also tried returning via Australia and received negative responses to all four transit visa applications she made to that country.
New Zealand Immigration stated that the reason for rejecting the applications was that they were not convinced she would use the country solely for transit. Australian authorities did not provide a detailed explanation regarding the individual file.
ALTERNATIVE ROUTES DID NOT WORK EITHER
Ranasinghe also researched different routes via Tahiti and Hawaii to reach Sri Lanka. However, in order to complete the necessary visa procedures on these routes, her biometric data must be collected in person in New Zealand. The woman, who cannot obtain permission to re-enter the country, cannot consider this option either.
It was stated that during her stay in the Cook Islands, a hotel provided her with free accommodation, and local residents provided food and clothing support.
SHE WANTS TO ATTEND HER SON'S WEDDING
One of Ranasinghe's greatest sorrows, unable to return to her country for nearly three years, is being away from her family. The woman, who wants to attend her only son's wedding planned for November, stated that the uncertainty she is experiencing has worn her down both physically and psychologically.
Sri Lanka's Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that necessary steps have been taken to facilitate the woman's return to her country, and that officials of the Sri Lanka High Commission in Wellington are in contact with New Zealand authorities.