CITY CHEF IN DARK OVER VISA
“Until now no decisions are made. I’m still waiting ... so hopefully we’ll be OK.”
A MUCH-LOVED Geelong chef is still in the dark over any chances he has of gaining permanent residency, amid fears he and his family could soon be deported.
In May, Italian national Luciano Gandolfo, 50, who is a chef at Geelong’s Centra, raised concerns that he would be left forced to indefinitely reapply for temporary skillsshortage visas.
Questions from the Geelong Advertiser prompted then-federal Citizenship Minister Alan Tudge to commit to “look at this matter closely”. But Mr Tudge has since been moved out of the portfolio following the Liberal Party’s leadership chaos, and yesterday a spokesman for Mr Tudge said he would not comment.
Mr Gandolfo told the Ad- vertiser yesterday that he had submitted “labour agreement” paperwork at Mr Tudge’s suggestion.
But he said he had not heard from the MP or the Department of Immigration.
“Until now no decisions are made,” Mr Gandolfo said. “I’m still waiting … so hopefully we’ll be OK,” he said.
“It’s very hard to be waiting in the dark on this thing.”
Mr Gandolfo’s ongo ing concerns come amid controversy surrounding the Government over claims Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton used his ministerial power improperly to overturn visa rejections for au pairs.
In May, Mr Dutton declined to answer questions regarding Mr Gandolfo’s plight, instead directing them to Mr Tudge.
A Department of Home Affairs spokeperson yesterday said the department does not comment on individual cases.
The Geelong Advertiser was yesterday unable to contact new federal Citizenship Minister David Coleman.