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A HORSHAM doctor denied permanent residency because she is too old could have the decision overturned within a month.
Member for Mallee John Forrest said he was confident qualified surgeon, general practitioner and skin cancer specialist Mihaela Guguila, 53, would be granted permanent residency.
She missed her chance for permanent residency by three years.
Warracknabeal podiatrist Wendy Cobbold faces a permanent residency battle.
Immigration and Citizenship Minister Brendan O’Connor announced he was reviewing the age restrictions after the Mail-Times broke Dr Guguila’s story in April.
He has also pushed for new ministerial powers to fast-track citizenship applications in special circumstances, including for elite athletes such as cricketer Fawad Ahmed, under legislation before Federal Parliament.
“I have been told by the minister to assure Mihaela not to worry and that he is on it,” Mr Forrest said.
“He has to make an adjustment to the 457 visa regulations, which would allow only medical doctors over 50 to be granted residency.
“He can hopefully do it as a ministerial direction, which is a bit easier to deliver than changing the legislation.
“I am going to hold him to that.”
Mr Forrest sent Mr O’Connor a 1200-signature petition supporting Dr Guguila on Tuesday.
“That is the way country communities do their stuff – they stand together and they bat for each other,” he said.
“Brendan tells me he wants to get this done before parliament dissolves so I am hoping he can get it done in the next couple of weeks.
“I have said that Mihaela should get on with fixing people and leave the paperwork to us.”
Dr Guguila said Mr Forrest had given her hope in her fight to stay in the country.
She has had marriage proposals from patients and a Spanish couple now living in Horsham has offered to adopt her.
“There is also a group of about 25 people who want to take some mini buses to Melbourne to protest in front of the Department of Immigration,” she said.
“I don’t think I have enough years to repay all the help people have given me – even the marriage proposals were very nice.
“I have had patients say they are ashamed to be Australian because of this but I said ‘don’t say something like that because you are the reason I want to stay, I love you and your country is beautiful’.”
Hope for Dr Guguila comes as another Wimmera resident told the Mail-Times of her fight against the age restrictions.
Warracknabeal podiatrist Wendy Cobbold, 53, moved from England in January 2012 to work at Rural Northwest Health.
The health service has nominated Mrs Cobbold for permanent residency but migration agents have told her the application will be flatly denied.
“If I was black I could say that it was racism; if I was of a different religion I could say it was religious discrimination but because it is a problem with my age it is not seen as a problem,” she said.
“We talk about the need to respect everyone’s culture and diversity so this is discrimination. There needs to be laws and guidelines but 50 is the new 40 – I don’t feel 50 and I have at least 20 years of working life left.
“I just want to set up a life in Warracknabeal, be a part of the community and maybe find someone to start a new life with.”
Mrs Cobbold was left devastated after asking Mr O’Connor for help.
“I emailed Brendan O’Connor and I told him that my situation is similar to the doctor in Horsham,” she said.
“I asked for help like the minister had offered the doctor but they just emailed back the visa criteria and it wasn’t any help at all.
“I am not a doctor but I do prevent amputations for diabetic at-risk patients.
“We change the lives of people within the community and make them feel so much better but we are being rejected – how awful is that?”
Rural Northwest Health chief executive Catherine Morley said the health service was willing to fight to keep Mrs Cobbold in Australia.