A 92-year-old war veteran who had been slated for deportation due to potential health costs has been granted a reprieve from Assistant Immigration Minister Alex Hawke, who has intervened in the case.

As Fairfax Media revealed on Sunday, the family of James Bradley had pleaded with the government for clemency, claiming the frail great-grandfather could not survive deportation to Britain.

Bureaucrats had determined Mr Bradley fell foul of a sub-sub-paragraph of the Migration Act, which can deny a visa if the applicant is deemed to pose a "significant cost" to the health system.

Mr Bradley and his 91-year-old wife Peggie applied for permanent residency in 2007 but were caught in the lengthy queue of about 80,000 people. Mr Bradley's health has since deteriorated.