Australia became our home more than a decade ago, a place we sought for a better life. My younger sisters, just 6 and 4 when we arrived in 2013, have spent their entire lives here, their futures imagined within this country. We've actively contributed to this community, not just by raising our family, but also through our family food business, which has created jobs and supported the local economy. Now, everything we've built, including my sisters' hopes for their education, is threatened by our visa status. We urgently need your support to help our family secure our permanent home in Australia and continue contributing to the nation we love.

One of my younger sisters is currently completing her VCE. While most students her age focus solely on their studies, she also lives with the ongoing stress and uncertainty of possibly having to leave the country at any time. This emotional burden affects her ability to concentrate on her future and plan for her final year of high school.

Another of my sisters has just completed Year 12 with an ATAR of 96+ and hopes to pursue a career in a STEM or health-related field to give back to the community that has raised her. Unfortunately, because of our visa status, she is unable to access the higher education opportunities available to her peers as she has no study rights.

In 2019, our permanent residency application was refused because of documentation issues. That year was incredibly hard for us. My brother was in a serious car accident and spent weeks in the ICU, followed by several months in hospital. At the same time, we were opening a new business, and shortly afterwards, the COVID-19 pandemic began. The pressure on our family was immense, and we just weren’t in a position to properly manage the immigration process.

As a result, we were unable to pursue other visa options during that period, and when our original visa refusal was reaffirmed by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal in 2023, Ministerial Intervention became our only remaining pathway.

Despite these circumstances, we kept our food business open to support the local community throughout the pandemic. Our family-run business employs local staff, complies fully with tax obligations, and pays superannuation - just as any Australian business would. Through it all, we have remained committed to contributing meaningfully to Australia’s economy and giving back to the community that has given us so much.

I’ve also been working as a restaurant manager in Melbourne’s CBD for nearly four years now, while also helping my parents run our family-owned food store. It’s steady, hands-on work that’s recognised as a skilled role under immigration. Furthermore, I've personally dedicated countless hours to volunteering at events like Ozwater and Ironman for the Baker Institute, and I'm a frequent, long-term blood donor to Lifeblood Australia . These are just some of the ways we’ve continued contributing to the community.

We kindly ask Immigration Minister Tony Burke and Assistant Minister Matt Thistlethwaite to consider our case, and help us remain in a country we call home. Being able to stay would not only support my sisters in pursuing their education but also enable our family to continue contributing to Australia as business owners, employees, and active members of the community.

Please sign this petition to show your support.

Note: If you choose to donate while signing the petition, please know that all donations go directly to Change.org to promote the petition, not to us. 

Your voice matters and with your help, we hope our family can finally call Australia our permanent home.