Parents Glenn, 57, and Sheena Tunnicliff, 50, who faced returning to the UK despite living and working in Australia for eight years, have got another year-long visa.
But Mrs Tunnicliffe, who started a petition to try to highlight their situation, said it’s “a temporary band aid” which lasts until July 2024.
The family are also looking to move to New Zealand, which allows older people to stay in the country.
As reported by 9News.com.au, the family moved to Perth in 2015.
Though they were close in age to the cut off, they should have been able to get permanent residency, known as PR, which would have allowed them to stay for good and eventually get Australian citizenship.
But visa and job changes over the years mean the family never managed to meet the strict rules.
It has an age limit of 45, so neither now qualifies.
Daughter Tamzin, now 21, has applied for her own visa and can stay in the country, but other child Molly, 18, is in the same situation as her parents.
The trio faced having to return home to England by August 4.
Read Related Also: Joe Rogan suggests Jan. 6 Capitol riot was a set-up to bring down Donald Trump
However the new year-long visa is not a permanent solution. Now they’ve also applied for a visa to move to New Zealand where they can still get Permanent Residency.
Then, after five years, they could become New Zealand citizens which would then allow them to return to Australia to live.
“New Zealand’s age is 55, we’d take all our skills and we’d go to New Zealand,” Mrs Tunnicliffe, who runs a travel agency said.
“It’s crazy, Australia’s lost all our skills. In five years time we could walk back into Australia,” Mrs Tunnicliffe said.
The Department of Home Affairs told 9news.com.au they don’t comment on individual cases.
Sign up here to receive our daily newsletters and breaking news alerts, sent straight to your inbox.
