The Block's star builder Martin Laidlaw is set to stay in the country after Immigration New Zealand accepted his visa request today.
It was confirmed this afternoon that the Scottish-born handyman and his partner have had their visas extended for 12 months, and plan to apply for New Zealand residency as soon as possible.
As The Herald reported on Tuesday, Laidlaw had been barred from the show's Sandringham building site for the final week of filming after getting word his application for a visa had been denied.
Immigration NZ said their decision followed a request by Laidlaw for a second chance, under the Immigration Act.
"Section 61 provides senior immigration officers with the power to grant a visa of any type to a person unlawfully in New Zealand and otherwise liable for deportation," a spokesman said.