One Year Later Since I was meant to leave

A year ago, I was supposed to leave Australia.

Yet here I still am.

From the outside, life probably looks normal. I'm still working, and many of you have seen me throw myself into running and HYROX training. Fitness has become my outlet; something that's helped keep me grounded while living with constant uncertainty.

But behind the scenes, every day is overshadowed by the possibility that I could receive a decision requiring me to leave the country I've called home for over a decade, with just 35 days' notice.

I am incredibly grateful that I'm still able to work. However, while my case remains unresolved, I have no travel rights.

Five years have now passed without being able to return home to see my family. My grandmother is in her 90s and has suffered her second fall in just three months. Every phone call carries the worry that I may not get another chance to see her.

Several months ago, I wrote to the Minister asking for compassion. I never received a response. My local federal MP also tried to help but was unable to intervene.

So today, I'm once again respectfully asking the Minister, Tony Burke, to consider my situation. If a final decision cannot yet be made, I ask that I at least be granted the ability to travel home to see my family and return while this process continues. Alternatively, I ask that my case be expedited so this uncertainty can finally come to an end.

Thank you to everyone who has stood beside me over the past year. Every signature, every share, and every message of support reminds me that I'm not facing this alone. ❤️