miraclebabycaw

To cut a very long story short we have recently immigrated to Australia from South Africa. We got some exceptionally bad advice from an immigration attorney in Australia and as a result are sitting in a situation we don't know what to do about. Basically I take full responsibility but that doesn't change the situation..my mom who turns 76 in July needs to leave Australia by the 5th June. We had applied for an extended tourist visa to her original one that she entered in with in December and they only gave us notification last nigh that they would only extend it for 3 months (we asked for 6 months) from the date her eVisa's 3 months ran out which was 4th March. She must leave by 5 June. I don't know why they did this and cannot get any answers. Suffice to say we are now running around like idiots trying so sort things out. She cannot return to South Africa as we have no one there that she can go to. She would have no medical cover in any case and we cannot afford to support her long term there anyway. She has NO MONEY whatsoever. She gets a 1/4 UK pension of 93GBP every 4 weeks and has been outside the UK most of her adult life. We last lived in the UK in 1979. She has no one in the UK either, so no where to go there, but is going to have to go back to the UK as this is the only place I can see that she might be able to get some assistance somewhere along the line. Can anyone provide some advice of places that might be able to assist in putting her up in a safe place and providing food for her as well until she might be able to get help from the government. I cannot afford to assist her for very long but I am worried sick that they will deny her any benefits for 6 months, and I just cannot support her for that period of time on my own. I am starting a new job on monday in Australia and have 2 kids to think about as well. It's so long since we were in the UK that we just don't know what to expect anymore.

Anyone have any advice at all?

Englishmum

Perhaps you could contact your local MP in Oz? Maybe the media? I can't imagine an OAP being deported without some sort of formal appeal process having taken place?

Is your mum a British citizen? Perhaps a charity such as Age Concern could offer some advice.

Here is some info here:

http://www.heathrowtravelcare.co.uk/...k-from-abroad/

Good luck!

miraclebabycaw

Yes she is British, born and bred, but left with her husband many years ago, then returned and lived for a period of time in the 70s, but then returned to SA. My dad died when I was 3 and I am her only child.

aries

Go to the offices of your Federal MP and see if an appeal can be lodged for exceptional circumstances.

SanDiegogirl

Why would you send your mother to the UK where she has not lived for 40 years and knows no-one? Do you expect someone to pick her up at Heathrow airport and transport her to a senior citizens residence? If so, think again. She is more likely to be left at the airport.

You and your family emmigrated to Australia and your mother visited you for three months. Therefore why does she not have a home to go back to and medical coverage in South Africa? If she has lived there for the majority of her life then she surely knows people, and has friends. It would be far easier for her to obtain help and assistance there than in the UK.

Sorry, but you can't expect anything from the UK - you say that you cannot support her long term, so even if she has her visa extended what happens when that runs out?

jennieJ

Must say I tend to agree with the above post at best she could probably only expect to go in one room in a homeless hostel tbh this really isn't something that I would recommend for someone who is 75 and has not been in the UK for 40 years. these are supposed to only be for 4 weeks but sometimes people get stuck in them for months and the people in the next room are not really who you would want as neighbours (battered women, street druggies trying to get off the stuff etc) most are obviously genuine and just fallen on hard times, but not what an elderly family lady would want. I think the advice to get in touch with your local MP is much more sensible cant see them deporting someone with working family and who is that elderly, surely they wouldn't want the bad press and karma from it. She wouldn't be put in a home anyway if she isn't ill if that is what you are expecting.

aries

Note that in Australia they have State and Federal MPs.

The issue with your mother is a federal one.

quoll

Surely SA would be a better bet - does she not have a home there and a social support network developed over the years - she was only on a tourist visa so surely she expected to return? I doubt she'd get much assistance if she rocked up to Heathrow and she won't know anyone in a totally foreign environment.

rebeccajo

Fiddlesticks.

While I agree it might not be a good idea just to pack Mom back to the UK, I disagree that there is nothing she can expect from the UK. She's a British citizen after all.

She should qualify for many benefits, not the least of which would be housing benefit. (Or whatever it might be called now under the new benefits scheme).

She'd need someone to guide her through it.

scot47

Would she pass the Habitual Residency Test for UK benefits ? Perhaps not. What will she do then ? There is no automatic entitlement based on nationality !

You should try everything possible to get permission for her to stay in Australia.

A warning to others about getting competent, accurate professional advice.

The Good News is that her frozen UK pension might be uprated to a higher rate if she does come back and becomes a permanant resident of the UK.

Get advice from Age Concern England or a similar organisation - not from the incompetent who gave you immigation advice.

dunroving

Why are you sending her back to the UK rather than SA? The reason you gave (not knowing anyone) also applies to the UK - but the difference is she knows SA, but hasn't lived in the UK for decades.

Gillymonkey

The above is a really important point! Also, please don't underestimate the psychological/emotional effects of making such a move with no real support network. I couldn't imagine asking my Granny to do that! I honestly would try and pursue options in SA or Australia.

Snap Shot

The OP can't support his mum for six months in Britain while she waits around for the Benefits Agency to decide what she's entitled to. What happens in the meantime ? Who sorts out her pension entitlement ? Does she even have a British bank account for the money to be paid into should she get any ? Does she have a current British passport ?

As has been remarked by another contributor hostels for the homeless are usually inhabited by addicts coming off street drugs or people who have long standing social or psychiatric problems. Not the right environment for a 76 year old.

The advice of contacting a local politian where you live in Aus could be one avenue to to pursue. Also, Age Concern in Britain or Help the Aged. Also, the Salvation Army might have a hostel or housing for her.

If she's considered to be homeless by the British authorities they have a duty of care to accommodate her. Albeit, in a homeless shelter. Or a b&b with the rest of the dregs of society. Slam me for being judgmental if you like but it's reality.

Pollyana

Worth a go but doubtful of any chance of success. She entered on a visa designed for tourism and holidays,and any extension to that is at the discretion of DIAC (Aussie Immigration). If they suspect that she is trying to live there, not just visit, they can refuse the extension - at least they gave her something if not as much as expected. To allow her to stay longer they will want to know how she is supporting herself thee and what provision she has for medical cover, for starters, and with her family there it does look as if she was not in any hurry to leave.

My question to the OP (harsh though it may sound) is this - she was there as a tourist, what was she planning to do when that visa expired? You say she can't go back to South Africa, well, unless you were planning on her staying in Aus illegally, what was the forward plan for her?

Mummy in the foothills

I was wondering the same thing Pollyana.
No country allows you to extend a tourist visa forever, eventually, it runs out. If she had got a 6 month extension, what were you going to do at the end of that? This brings it all forward just a few weeks.
Do you have any other family anywhere at all?