About Us
In July 2012, we—Grzegorz (Greg) and Agnieszka (Aga)—set off on a year-long journey to travel the world. Our plan was simple: we had a rough plan and a budget for 12 months of travel and wanted to circumnavigate the globe. However, as with many plans, things didn’t go as expected.

By August 2013, we were in Bali, about halfway through our planned route. At that point, we had two options: return to Poland and start a "serious life" or apply for a visa to Australia and try to find a job and earn more money for our travelling. With working holiday visas unavailable to us, a student visa was the easiest way to gain work rights and earn money. The idea was to work for a few months and then continue our travels—but life had other plans.

We found great jobs, met terrific people, and quickly realized that Australia was where we wanted to build our future

In 2015, we discovered Newcastle—a city we had never heard of before—and immediately fell in love with it. This friendly coastal town, with its beautiful beaches and vibrant community, felt like home. After visiting 40 countries and living in cities like Rzeszow (Poland), Izmir (Turkey), Akureyri (Iceland), and Lisbon (Portugal) through university exchange programs, we knew Newcastle was where we wanted to settle.

Our Journey Through the Immigration System
Staying in Australia, however, wasn’t easy. Unless you are an IT professional, engineer, or other highly sought-after specialist, securing permanent residency is incredibly difficult. Both of us hold Master’s degrees in Marketing and Management, but our qualifications did not meet Australia’s priority immigration criteria.

An immigration lawyer advised us to start a business, with Aga as the director, so that the company could sponsor Greg as a marketing specialist. Unfortunately, this strategy failed, and our visa application was refused. We appealed to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) to gain time to strengthen our business and gather additional documents.

In early 2020, when our AAT hearing took place, COVID-19 was spreading rapidly. The tribunal member ruled against us, citing concerns about our business’s ability to sustain Greg’s wages for two years—an uncertainty we fully understood given the unpredictable nature of the pandemic.

Thriving Against the Odds
Despite this setback, we didn’t give up. Cleaning businesses were among the few industries that thrived during the pandemic. With our second child, Tomi, born in April 2020, we chose to step back for a few weeks during the first lockdown and meanwhile we focused on refining our business operations. This turned out to be a great decision—once lockdowns lifted, our company grew by 50% year over year.

Determined to exhaust every possibility, Greg applied for Ministerial Intervention in May 2022. By then, our business employed over ten people and was able to pay Greg's wages for two years from its savings.

Our case falls within several categories of unique or exceptional circumstances:

1. Best Interests of the Child (Article 3, CROC): Australian law recognizes the paramount importance of a child's best interests, which, in our case, supports remaining in Australia.
2. Economic and Social Contribution: Our business provided jobs for 10 people back then, now its over 20 people and contributes to the national economy, aligning with Australia’s economic and labour market priorities.
3. Strong Compassionate Grounds: The sudden upheaval of my family and children due to our forced departure would cause significant hardship, which the ministerial guidelines consider a factor for intervention.
4. Long-Term Residence and Integration: We have spent over a decade in Australia, becoming an integral part of the community, demonstrating compliance with laws, and contributing to society in multiple ways.
    

Where We Are Today
After waiting 34 months, we finally received news in March 2025 that our case had been referred to the Assistant Minister for Immigration, the Hon. Matt Thistlethwaite MP. This is a significant step forward.

We have lived in Australia for almost 12 years—most of our adult lives. Our three children, now 7, 5, and 2.5 years old, were all born here. Australia is their home. It is our home.

How You Can Help

We are incredibly grateful for the support of our local MP, Sharon Claydon, and her dedicated team. Their encouragement has meant the world to us, and we truly appreciate their efforts on our behalf.

Now, we turn to anyone and everyone who believes we deserve to stay in Australia—please stand with us. Sign and share this petition to show that we are more than just numbers on a page. We are a real family, deeply rooted in this beautiful country, contributing to its economy, culture, and community.

We urge Assistant Minister Matt Thistlethwaite to reconsider our case with empathy and to see us as individuals who love and contribute to Australia. Every signature matters. Please stand with us and help us secure our future in the place we call home.

Sign this petition and be a voice for fairness, community, and human dignity.