My name is Parminder Singh, for the past 15 years, Australia has been home for me, my wife and our son. I studied for a Bachelor of Social Welfare at Southern Cross University, with a Diploma in community welfare and advanced management. We have built our lives and established deep roots in the Gold Coast community. We have worked hard and contributed to this country in countless ways.

But now, we face the very real possibility of being forced to leave everything behind. I am asking for your support in my appeal to the Australian immigration minister to reinstate my work rights, so we can apply for permanent residency or provide permanent residency through intervention. 

Our dreams of permanent residency in Australia were shattered when our application was rejected in 2016, despite my years of hard work and dedication as a restaurant manager. We tried everything we could, but our appeal to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal was met with disappointment, and even our request for Ministerial intervention was denied after two years.

I am now working as a residential youth worker on the Gold Coast, a job which I love supporting young people who have had a difficult start to life. My application for a visa in February 2023 was rejected, meaning I now have no work rights, and we have to leave the country by the end of May 2023. 

I will be unable to complete the work experience required for my youth workers skills' assessment, I am only two months away from finishing, which would ultimately allow me to re-apply for permanent residency. My employer has supported me throughout this process, but had to terminate my job due to the loss of my working rights. 

Our son was born in Australia in 2015. If we are forced to leave Australia, we fear for our son’s future, he has never known any other home. It would be devastating for us to leave after having spent so many years here, leaving behind our friends, our community, and everything we have worked so hard for. I know that you understand what it means to have a place that you call home. 

So, I am asking for your help. Please support us in our appeal to the Australian immigration minister to obtain a substantive work visa or permanent residency. We need your help to stay in this country that we love. Parminder Singh and Family