Petition to stay filling up

A PETITION calling for a Malaysian cancer survivor and her family to be granted permanent Australian visas has garnered more than 1500 signatures in less than 24 hours.

Har Mei “Jacqui” Chew, Wai Cheong “Des” Low and children Daphne, 19, and Joab, 16, will be forced to leave on July 9 unless Immigration Minister David Coleman overturns a decision to reject their visa application.

Following reports by the Geelong Advertiser, migration agent Raviro Nzenza launched the petition on Monday night as she prepares to lodge a final appeal for the family.

The Corio family moved to Australia in 2015 under the skilled migration program and applied for a 187 visa in 2017 to live and work here permanently.

A month after the application was lodged, Ms Chew was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Now 48, she is in remission after chemotherapy and surgery.

But the family’s bid for residency was rejected last year because she did not meet the requirements of the “one fails, all fail” visa health criteria.

Documents reveal the medical officer found Ms Chew’s cancer was “high risk” and likely to recur, with treatment costing the community up to $61,000 over five years.

The family’s existing visa expires on July 9.

“Coming here was a very big move, our life is here now and over five years we have settled,” Ms Chew said.

A Department of Home Affairs spokeswoman declined to comment.

View the petition at change. org/ p/ hon- david- colemanmp- urgently- reverse- thedecision- to- deport- forciblyremove- the- family- fromaustralia