The 90-year-old married Aurora, a Filipino citizen, five years ago, but the couple have lived in different countries for more than a year.
Mrs Glover's application for New Zealand residency and subsequent appeals have been turned down on health reasons, as she is a diabetic, on dialysis. The couple met in New Zealand and Mrs Glover had been living here until more than a year ago when she returned to her home country to sort out her mother's estate.
After returning to the Philippines, her condition deteriorated and she required dialysis. The cost of dialysis in this country for a non-resident was prohibitive so she had remained in the Philippines.
After appealing to the Minister of Immigration, Michael Woodhouse, for a review of the case on humanitarian grounds, Mrs Glover (67) was granted a multiple entry visitor visa in March, valid for two years.
Associate minister Nikki Kaye said the visa was granted ''as an exception'' and did not mean further visas would be granted in the future. Mr Glover asked again for the case to be reconsidered and for his wife to be granted a residency visa but Ms Kaye said she had already ''intervened'' on behalf of his wife.
''While I acknowledge that this is not the intervention you wanted, I am not going to further intervene,'' Ms Kaye said. As a pensioner, paying for the cost of each dialysis treatment in this country was beyond his means, Mr Glover said.
''All that happened here, is my wife got ill. She'd lived here for four and a-half years and was in good health and worked here and paid taxes, and never needed dialysis in that time.
''So we're still apart because of that, but a residence visa for my wife would solve the dilemma. I've tried and fought for five years to get her residency, but have got nowhere, so it's looking hopeless. All I can do now is ask the Ombudsman for help.''
Mr Glover's campaign included a petition containing 130 signatures, seeking a review of the case, which was presented to Mr Woodhouse.
''I'm grateful for all the support from the Central Otago community and from [Central Otago Mayor] Tony Lepper, who has backed my case, but now I feel like I've been left with no more options.''
He took his first trip overseas in January, to be with his wife and to see whether he could cope living in the Philippines, but was unwell for most of his stay.
At this stage of his life, he had hoped to be enjoying retirement and the companionship of his wife but instead, they were living in different countries.
''She's doing well, health-wise but it's hard on both of us to be living apart.''
