A British couple who moved to Australia some eight years ago will be kicked out soon because they are ‘too old’ to get residency under new visa rules.
Genn Tunnicliff, 57, and Wife, Sheena, 50, have been living in Perth, Australia, since 2015 with their two daughters Tamzin, 21, and Molly, 18.
Glenn works as a plasterer, and Sheena runs her own Helloworld travel franchise with a team of three people. Their elder Tamzin is a nurse, while Molly studies Auslan (Australian Sign Language).
According to Nine News, the family sold their house in East Sussex, UK, to start a new life in Perth, Australia, but now they are ‘upset and frustrated’ as they have been ordered to leave the country within seven weeks and return to the UK.
“We don’t want to go back to the UK – we’ve made a life here,” Sheena told 9News.
“Now we are over that magic figure of 45 there is no route to PR for us. Australia classes us as too old [but] we are the ones with the experience and training.”
Despite trying hard, the family couldn’t manage to get permanent residency, and according to the new visa rules, Mr. Tunnicliff, who is 57 years old, is not eligible to get a PR at this age.
“It has an age limit of 45, so neither now qualifies. Now they’ve run out of options and must go home by August 4,” per 9 News.
The family is staying in Australia on Mr. Tunnicliff’s work visa as his job is currently in high demand nationwide.
“Australia is turning around saying, ‘You’re too old, but we’ll hang on to your kids.'” Said Sheena.
According to Mrs. Tunnicliff, the family has spent over $80,000 on visas throughout the years to get their PR but couldn’t succeed.
Their elder daughter, Tamzin, can get her own visa as she is working as a nurse, but that means she will have to stay behind while the rest of her family returns to the UK.
“The family is calling for the rules to change to allow more people who have come to Australia to work to be allowed to stay for good, even if they are over 45,” wrote 9 News.
“We are just a pure working family that have been caught up with all the visa changes over the years,” said Mrs. Tunnicliff. “For us to have to leave the country is very frustrating, there has to be something done”
“I get why they want to be tough, but I don’t understand why someone’s not looking at us as a family,” added Glenn.
“That’s the problem, the moving of the goalposts all the time, and if anything changes with your circumstances you start again. We never came here to go home.”
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Source: 9 News
