Ying-Hsi Chou, originally from Taiwan, has spent more than a decade in Murray Bridge in South Australia, marrying her husband Ben and becoming part of the community.
But she could be separated from her family and deported back to Taiwan, after the Department of Home Affairs accused her of deliberately misleading authorities when making a visa application.
She accidentally put the wrong name in the application, and it could cost Chou her life in Australia.
“I want to stay,” she said.
“I just want safety, stay here, take care of my family.”
She begged for the Home Affairs office to understand it was a simple mistake and not an attempt to deceive.
“I made a mistake, I’m very sorry.”
She started a petition to be allowed to stay in Australia, with the Murray Bridge community rallying behind her.
Her husband, Ben Cox, was heartened by the support the community had shown his wife, and urged her to stay upbeat.
“Just think positive,” he said.
The Department of Home Affairs can grant a temporary partnership visa on compassionate grounds but Chou has been told her circumstances don’t meet the criteria, despite the prospect of her three children being separated from their mother.
The state government is stepping in, promising to look into her case.
“There is a couple of families that we’ve been able to advocate for that have been able to stay together,” Premier Peter Malinauskas said.
“That’s an approach that we reserved the right to repeat into the future, and we’ll assess the case on its merits.”
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