PATHWAY TO PR TO TEMPORARY VISA HOLDERS STAYING IN AUSTRALIA OVER THE PANDEMIC.

There are currently thousands of families who are residing in Australia, dealing with a global pandemic and being separated from their families, who are on temporary work visas. 

We appreciate that in ordinary circumstances, a pathway to PR (permanent residency) is not a guarantee, nor is it something that the Australian government takes lightly. However, given the ever increasing number of expats leaving Australia, there was some hope that the Department of Immigration would view these temporary visa holders more favourably, and look at gifting a pathway to PR for these people. 

18 months of having NO option to see families, online funerals, missed births and weddings, the stress of which gets harder everyday. The one shining light that could be shone upon temporary visa holders right now would be to know that this is all in aid of a longer term future in Australia. 

We are grateful to be here, adding our skills to your labour market, paying our taxes, without taking a dollar from the system (no job keeper, no chid care rebates, the list goes on), we want to fight to be given the option to stay here long term, build our futures and our children's future after sacrificing so much over the last 18 months. 

As someone who is highly invested into the recruitment market, I am seeing unprecedented skills shortages at a level that I've never seen in ten years of being here. I am talking to people day in and day out who are currently on temporary visas,  struggling with justifying being here much longer with no light at the end of the tunnel. Giving a pathway to PR, would be a major factor is reinvesting people back into life here, not only pumping a lot of money into the department via application costs, but being given the opportunity to stay here would give us the mental boost we are all so desperate for right now. 

From a personal stand point, my young family have been in Australia almost a decade. In that time I have assisted hundreds of Aussies and immigrants in gaining employment. We run two businesses, have paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax, into the childcare system. We were not eligible for job keeper, nor for any childcare rebates (currently over $1000 a week). Our children are embedded into life here, we play for local sports teams, volunteer when we can, shop local as much as we can. Yet we are denied the opportunity of gaining PR, and currently only have the option of relocating our whole lives to a regional area for almost 4 years to be given pathway, that is only if that doesn't also change in the meantime. Our life is in constant limbo. We have now been separated from our families for 18 months, they have yet to meet our almost two year old baby. Over this time we have had two family members die, and have had to watch their funerals on a screen, as it's been made very clear that as temporary visa holders, we would not get back into our 'home'. 

Please sign today, and give those who are dedicating their lives to being in Australia over the Pandemic the chance to stay and contribute further to the the economic recovery that Australia will continue to go through. 

Temporary Visa Holders to be given pathway to PR - please sign today.