A Mauritian hardworking migrant couple and their three children are facing the prospect of being kicked out of Australia because of a visa technicality, despite the country facing a crippling skills shortage. The popular Australian Current Affair program of 31 August has treated the problem of Samy and Vinida Velleyen with their family who are facing deportation with family over visa age cut-off.
They are skilled workers who have paid taxes with no welfare or Medicare return. After 14 years bringing up three boys in Australia Samy is too old for residency. Samy Velleyen is a builder with eight years of training and experience, while his wife Vinida is an aged care cook.
The couple have lived in Sydney for 14 years with Mr Velleyen on a four-year working visa and ineligible to apply for residency because new immigration laws lowered the cut-off age from 50 to 45 in 2018. ‘Unfortunately for me, I just turned 46 last year,’ Mr Velleyen told A Current Affair. ‘We must leave Australia by the 2nd of December this year. All the doors have been closed now, once I pass 45 years old.’
As Mr Velleyen has recently changed jobs, he needs to reapply for the work visa under a new sponsor. ‘We are scared that maybe we will end up in the detention centre with the kids,’ a tearful Mrs Velleyen said.
Basically, they’re the types of worker Australia is crying out for in the aftermath of the Covid pandemic, and the reason Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called a Jobs and Skills Summit in Canberra on Thursday. Until that comes through Samy and his family could be deemed illegal immigrants.
Mr Velleyen’s boss, Andrew Barkby said his skills and experience aren’t easily replaced. ‘You can’t just get someone tomorrow to fill those shoes,’ he said.
‘We need Samy. His wife is in aged care, she’s been there for 10 years. Those are two skillsets that we need in this country.’ ‘Let’s him get onto his next visa.’
Ms Velleyan said uncertainty about staying in Australia was ‘ruling everything in our life’. If they can’t stay she says the family will ‘have lost everything’ they have worked so hard for.
Immigration lawyer Adam Byrnes said there were many people in the same situation as Mr Velleyan.
‘If that was reinstated back to, ‘must not have turned 50 at time of visa application’ that would help a lot of people with an extra five years.’
‘A more streamlined ministerial intervention application process will help not just his family but other people who are left stranded.’
