A Hungarian family who have been operating two successful businesses on the Kapiti Coast has had their residency application declined by Immigration New Zealand.

The family now has 42 days to present their case to a tribunal to determine whether or not they can stay in the country.

A petition launched to help the family stay in New Zealand has received overwhelming support with over 44,000 signatures.

Szilard Laszlo, one of the family members affected, has described the approval process as a 'nightmare'.

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• Hardworking Hungarian family declined residency visa