Mother of four Sharon Choo said she has been crying for the past few years but said her tears were different yesterday - after she received confirmation that she has been granted a permanent residence visa to remain in NZ with her family.

Choo, 40, originally from Malaysia, has four New Zealand citizen children aged between 5 and 12 and was originally denied a visa because her Kiwi husband, Barry Eade, 56, had previously sponsored two other foreign partners.

INZ told the Herald in February that for a New Zealand partner to be eligible to support a partnership residence visa application, they must not have acted as a partner in more than one previous successful residence class visa application.

Eade has had two failed relationships with foreign partners, one was a British national in 1992 and another Malaysian woman in 2003.

In March, Choo appealed the decision through the immigration and protection tribunal which ruled that INZ’s decision to decline Choo’s residence visa in July last year was correct.

Sharon Choo met her husband Barry Eade in Malaysia in 2008. Photo / Sylvie Whinray

However, it found there were special circumstances to warrant consideration by the Minister of Immigration as an exception to instructions.

It said Choo was the primary caregiver of her young children and they have very strong attachments to her, and if she was returned to Malaysia it would have a profound impact on the children’s development and mental health for the rest of their lives.

The tribunal found it was in the children’s best interests to remain under the care of both parents in New Zealand.

Choo’s immigration lawyer Maricel Weischede confirmed she received a letter by courier yesterday advising that the associate immigration minister had considered the tribunal’s decision and Choo will be granted a permanent residence visa as an exception to residence instructions.

“The decision was made on June 9 but the letter only arrived yesterday via courier,” Weischede said.

“I am happy to be part of the successful journey of Sharon and Barry.”

Maricel took on Choo’s case after a Herald report about her plight in February.

Sharon Choo wants to focus on being the 'best mum' to her kids. Photo / Sylvie Whinray

Choo said she had just picked up the children and was preparing to cook dinner when she received Weischede’s call with the news.

“My tears just starting flowing, it couldn’t stop, but it was tears of joy...after so many years of crying, for the first time this is happy tears,” she said.

“I gave my children the biggest hug and told them ‘mummy is staying with you’. I stopped my cooking and took my family out for a celebratory dinner at a Malaysian restaurant.”

Choo met Eade in Malaysia in 2008 where he was working as a boat builder.

It was during a trip to Thailand to deliver a boat for a regatta that Choo became pregnant, and they had their first son, Sebastian.

They had their second son Alexander in 2015, Nicholas in 2017 and then their youngest Riccardo in 2018.

“Now it really feels like a mountain has been lifted off my shoulder, it has been so unsettling not knowing if I can remain with the family,” Choo said.

“I can call New Zealand my home, 100 per cent now, and focus on being the best mum I can be for my kids.”