Our family moved to Australia seeking a life filled with opportunities and stability. I am a permanent resident of Australia and have been here for 15 years, and my sister has been a citizen for 24 years. We both have big families that have grown up here. Despite the distances, we have been fortunate enough to look after our aging parents, especially our sick mother, who is in dire need of care. Yet, the threat of having them sent back to Pakistan, where there's no one to look after them is looming. Sending our mother back would undoubtedly be a death sentence.

Old age needs attention, care, and support, and this is what we can provide them with here, amongst their children and grandchildren. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, around 1 million Australian residents were born in countries where they do not have support in their elderly age. Furthermore, research indicates that elderly people's health improves significantly when living with family, and their life expectancy increases (source: Ageing and Aged Care in Australia, Department of Health).

Even though we have been independently looking after them with no external help till now, my parents' visas are temporary, denying them the security they need in their twilight years.

We request the Australian government to consider our family's situation and many others who find themselves in similar circumstances. We urge you to make reunions permanent and issue visas to our parents, thereby ensuring their health, stability, and the joy of living with their family.

We kindly seek your support in ensuring our parents' right to live their old age securely and comforting them with the presence of their kin. We do not require any financial aid, but we be eternally grateful if you can sign this petition and share, urging the government to grant a permanent visa to our parents.