Wellington: As New Zealand prepares to welcome its oldest immigrant, another centenarian from England is leaving after officials rejected his bid to spend his twilight years with his only living relative.

The country's oldest immigrant, 102-year-old Eric King-Turner is due to arrive next weekend after sailing from England with his New Zealand-born wife, Doris, 87.

But a 101-year-old widower who has been living with his English-born, New Zealand-resident son since 2006 has been told he must go, according to an immigration department ruling published today.

Officials found that the circumstances of the man, who has not been identified, "do not make him special." He is said to be a retired research chemist who has savings of $284,000 and gets an annual pension of nearly $83,000.

In his application for New Zealand residency, the 101-year-old said he wanted to live out his final years with his only living relative, his adopted son, 63, and his daughter-in-law.

In his appeal to the Residence Review Board (RRB) the 101-year-old said he had "adequate financial resources" to support himself and met health requirements.

"I no longer have any property or assets outside of New Zealand; the centre of gravity of my immediate family is very clearly in New Zealand," he said.

However, the RRB ruled "there is no evidence that the appellant could not have continued to live in Great Britain alone and without his son, as he had done for many years."

Source : PTI