The Romanian-born qualified surgeon, general practitioner and skin cancer specialist, 52, told the Mail-Times on Friday that she would be forced to leave the country next year because she was too old to be granted permanent residency.

Dr Guguila has lived in Horsham for a year after arriving in Australia in 2010.

She joined Mr O'Connor on ABC radio on Tuesday night.

Dr Guguila said Mr O'Connor gave her a verbal guarantee that she could remain in the country.

She said Mr O'Connor said he was reconsidering laws which meant people over 49 years could not receive permanent residency.

"I feel numb and speechless,'' she said. "He said he's going to resolve my problem, but not only mine, which I'm very glad about.''

Dr Guguila said she had not felt optimistic about her chances of remaining in the country.

But she said she had faith in Mr O'Connor's words.

"The minister impressed me,''

she said.

"I'm a very idealistic person. I believe in people.

"I would love to believe I'm not wrong this time.''

Dr Guguila, who is in Queensland for a medical conference, promised to repay the support she had received from Wimmera residents.

"I am so sad because I am not in Horsham but I want to thank people with all my heart," she said.

"The most important thing is that people are supporting and trusting me and that pushes me to give more to the community.

"It is so nice to have so many friends around."

Wimmera Development Association executive director Jo Bourke said the association had given Dr Guguila advice on how to tackle the issue.

"The Department of Immigration processes are complex and each case is different with the different sponsorship arrangements," she said.

"We have a number of doctors working in the region who have been trained in other countries and the processes vary depending on where their qualifications have been established.

"Immigrant doctors are highly valued in the community and provide great services we have provided some advice to her and that is all we can probably do."

Readers of the Mail-Times website and Facebook page described the Department of Immigration and Citizenship's decision to deny Dr Guguila residency as 'balderdash', ridiculous and wrong.

Online reader Erin Gulick called for a petition supporting Dr Guguila and for Wimmera residents to write to the Federal Government expressing their concerns. "How many skilled doctors are willing to spend thousands of dollars to pack up their lives and be willing to move here to Horsham and become part of a community?" she said.

"I just find it hard to believe that's how a skilled person gets treated."

Wartook man Frank Peel said he feared Dr Guguila would follow in the footsteps of former Horsham doctor Bernard Moeller.

The Department of Immigration denied Dr Moeller and his family permanent residency because of his disabled son. Despite a strong community campaign that overturned the decision, Dr Moeller left the Wimmera.

"The only way I would be convinced that she would stay is if she signed a six-year contract to say that she would stay in Horsham," Mr Peel said.

"Why would a person with all those qualifications stay in Horsham when she can go elsewhere to get bigger bucks?"

Dr Guguila said if granted permanent residency, she would not leave the Wimmera because she would have to pay back the region's support ten-fold.

"There hasn't been time for people to know me enough and I don't know the other doctor referred to, but I came to Horsham because I wanted to," she said.

"I wouldn't waste my time to come here, do things professionally and buy a house just to leave after being granted permanent residency.

"I came to Horsham because I wanted to. I'm very sure I want to be here. This was actually the whole point. I'm sure that this is my home.

"I can't find enough words to thank everyone.''