Zoe Moffatt
A Sunbury family is petitioning to gain permanent residency in Australia after being told on May 29 that they have 35 days to leave their children behind and the country they have lived in since 2015.
A petition, which has gained more than 13,000 signatures, was launched in December 2022 for the Kaur and Singh family to stay in Australia after they claimed they were exploited by their sponsor.
Sukhdeep Kaur and Jaswinder Singh moved to Australia in 2015 on a 457 work visa with their two children from northern India.
“We wanted to set up our life [in Australia],” Mrs Kaur said.
“We thought it was a good country for our children too, that’s why we are here and we worked very hard.
“I started around four years ago to work in a cook position at Gisborne Peak Winery… and I have another job at Kyneton Woolworths in customer service.”
Mrs Kaur said the Gisborne Peak Winery owners, who also employ her husband, have been supportive but the family’s financial circumstances, a lack of awareness of Austalia’s immigration laws and no family contacts in Australia had contributed to their situation and the harsh reality of deportation.
“We are feeling very depressed,” Mrs Kaur said as tears rolled down her face.
“[Our] 187 [visa application] was refused… completely denied and we have 35 days [from May 29] to leave the country.
“We have suffered a lot the last eight years and we have been living in limbo with no certainty.
“I have no words to express, we are in the dark side of life.”
Mrs Kaur and Mr Singh have two children together, a 25 year old son who is working on an application for a permanent visa and a 20 year old daughter who has been offered a permanent visa.
At 46 years of age, Mrs Kaur cannot apply for permanent residency due to her age.
“My daughter is 20 years old…she’s emotionally and financially dependent on us,” Mrs Kaur said.
“We have nothing [in India], it’s very hard for us to survive there.
“I don’t know what we will do, since [May 29] we are in the dark, we don’t know what we will do.”
With the deportation date of July 2 looming, the Kaur and Singh family contacted Hawke MP Sam Rae and said he has been helpful in seeking advice from the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs on their behalf.
Mr Rae said he has directly raised the case with the office of Immigration Minister Andrew Giles but cannot comment on the specifics of individual cases due to privacy.
“I always advocate for the people of Hawke,” Mr Rae said. “Our community is richer for welcoming multicultural families to our great country.”
Details: rb.gy/isqbb
