RSS Feed
Twitter
Blind Indian woman Finally allowed to Stay in Australia
October 26, 2011 – A legally blind woman has just recently been granted permanent residency in Australia.
After a two-year battle to obtain permanent residency, Simran Kaur, a 30-year-old Indian woman, has finally been granted permanent residency.
Ms Kaur’s application for an Australian migration skilled-sponsored visa was initially rejected last week because a commonwealth medical officer said she met the criteria for legal blindness.
Ms. Kaur then brought her case to the Migration Review Tribunal, which rejected her application on health grounds, before Immigration Australia Minister Chris Bowen intervened and allowed her and her husband to stay.
Kaur came to Melbourne in 2007 on an Australian visa for students with her husband to join other family members. She was born with retinal macular dystrophy. Though she is not completely blind, her vision is described as 6/60.
After studying community welfare and development, Kaur remained in Australia on a temporary Australian migration visa. She then worked as a social worker with Vision Australia.
Vision Australia, Australia’s largest provider of services for people with blindness and low vision and where Kaur worked, welcomed the decision but did not believe that the recent decision would act as a precedent for others in a similar position.
According to Brandon Ah Tong-Pereira, Policy Officer of Vision Australia, though the decision to Kaur was favorable, unfortunately, should someone with similar condition like Kaur come in and try to apply for permanent residency in the future, they would still be denied.
18 recommendations aimed at updating migration to Australia health requirements was created by a2010 Senate inquiry into the treatment of prospective migrants with disabilities.
Mr. Ah Tong stated the reform was intended to help people with a disability to make a bigger contribution to society, rather than be thought of as a burden.
Moreover, Mr. Ah Tong called on the federal government to act now on the recommendations.
According to him, Simran’s case has showed the reason why the system should be changed so that blind people are assessed according to what they can actually do, rather than what they hypothetically can’t.
source:
articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com
