She's pregnant, she's a student living in NZ, why should she not be able to give birth here? Over 25% of people living in NZ now were born overseas, what's wrong with having one born here. Do you really think New Zealand will be flooded with preggers Frenchies looking for the chance to grab an NZ passport? It's not like she's a Nigerian illegal migrant looking to legitimise her immigration status by giving birth (a recent problem in Ireland). If she has the money / insurance to fund her giving birth in NZ, and has been studying here as a student for several months, I can't see how she is similar to the cases of Japanese and Chinese women a few years ago who flew to NZ while heavily pregnant just to give birth here and gain residency through their NZ-born children. This woman has come to NZ specifically for the Nelson Aromatherapy Certificate. It is a hard course. She would have planned to come for months, saved money for it, and then studied hard to complete it. To rob her of certification, her reason for coming here, and incur humiliation and extra cost to boot, when she is able to pay for the whole medical process, is simply unjust. Just because of a bureaucratic rule that cannot be interpreted? Are our administrators that thick? Such an attitude does not matches the grace and generosity needed in a country with an export education industry worth billions of dollars. We are a nation of immigrants living in a wealth country - can we not find the grace to welcome a good woman here?

I Totally agree with all of the above!!! Why should she use up the resources provided for kiwi women when she is not a kiwi!!!! She is only here on a visitors visa!! It is not about the costs of the care its about the availability of it!!! care for pregnant woman ready to give birth is already stretched to it's limits in some areas!!! And she knew she was pregnant before she arrived here!! Maybe she shouldn't have been let into the coutry if she doesn't want to acept our rules!!!

Sounds like a case of "I want my child to be born here, so they can get an NZ passport" If she didnt want to be kicked out of NZ to have her baby, she should have waited until the baby was born before coming here to study. Sounds harsh, but go be a burden on someone elses health care system and leave the NZ health care system to the NZ mothers.

Being French she will be used the 'European Human Rights' system where you can't 'discriminate' against anybody for anything. She needs to respect that she is a visitor in a country who have their own rules and regulations.

I'm so tired of people blaming "someone or something else". I agree entirely with the above comment-This lady made all the choices, despite knowing, or with no excuse not to know, of the Immigration rule concerning pregnancy. It would surely be the one thing you would ask, look up, find out about, so please, do not call the old " discrimination" chestnut. When all NZ'ers can get accessible,affordable,timely,and needed medical treatment and professional care maybe it may change-but until then, for most of us, it's a struggle to be able to have the medical care and resources many desperately need,and have contributed to.To let everyone who can afford it just come in and get it would negate any benefit of actually living in, and being a citizen of,our own country, as the costs of it would match the demand, and the resources would not.

I'm sorry to say but I agree with Immigration. Our country went down this path about 6 or 8 years ago. We had women comming to have their babies here from all other countries. Some for the passports, some for the medical care and some for other reasons. All the different agencies drew the line in the sand. Our own mothers were struggling to get the care because of the influx and resources were stretched to the extreme. It compromised the safety of New Zealand mothers giving birth. Insurance alone doesn't cover this. You can throw as much money at this as you like, but at the end of the day, it's weather the resources are available. Now you may say this is just one mother, but if it is allowed to happen, it opens the flood gates and we are back to square one again. Virginie, I'm sorry but you are here on a study visa. It was you and your partners choice to start a family. It was your choice to study here while pregnant. It is not your choice or your insurance companys choice to place this burden on our health system. It is ours. Please understand, we all have choices in life and our system has made it's choice. I wish you and your baby a safe and happy birth.