It took Australian immigration officers a decade to course of Wendy Van Breda and her daughter Paige's visa purposes.
Paige was 15 years outdated when the pair first got here to Australia in 2011. She is now 26.
Final March, Wendy and Paige lastly obtained a solution from the Division of House Affairs, however it wasn't what they had been anticipating.
The pair had been instructed that as a result of Paige had now grown up, and was not thought-about to be her mom's dependent, each of their visa purposes had been rejected.
"We had been so shocked. It type of felt like our entire world was coming down," Paige mentioned of the choice.
Wendy and Paige had been each born in Zimbabwe, however the political and financial unrest within the African nation meant most of their household moved abroad, first to the UK after which Australia.
Wendy's solely surviving mother or father, her mom, and all of her siblings - three brothers - dwell in Queensland, having been granted everlasting residency.
Hoping to be near their household, Wendy, who's a single mom, and Paige moved from the UK to Brisbane in 2011.
The pair utilized for a remaining relative visa, which is open to immigrants whose rapid members of the family all dwell in Australia.
The remaining relative visa has the longest processing time of any Australian visa.
When Wendy and Paige utilized for the visa in 2011, the wait time was 10 years.
It has since ballooned out to 50 years.
Wendy and Paige have been dwelling in Australia on momentary bridging visas for the previous decade.
Having appealed the division's choice to reject their visas final yr, they're nonetheless right here on a bridging visa, however face the prospect of being despatched again to the UK if their attraction is unsuccessful.
"We simply need to be with our household, that is all we would like. It is going to destroy us if we needed to go away. I do not know what we are going to do," Wendy mentioned.
Wendy mentioned she and Paige had spent the previous decade constructing their lives in Australia, and now thought-about it their house.
Each she and her daughter had willingly made sacrifices to remain in Australia with the hope of being granted everlasting residency, Wendy mentioned.
Their bridging visas have allowed them to work and examine however nonetheless include restrictions.
"It has been actually arduous as a result of, with Paige, we needed to pay worldwide college charges - it was $13,000 a yr for her to go to a public highschool," Wendy mentioned.
"Paige all the time had a dream of being a instructor, however she will't go to uni right here as a result of she would wish to pay full charges and she will't get a scholar mortgage or something like that."
After graduating from highschool, Paige went to TAFE as a substitute to get an early childhood diploma and now works in a childcare centre.
"It was the closest choice I might get to being a instructor. It has been arduous having some choices being taken away however I am grateful that I have been in a position to dwell right here with my household," Paige mentioned.
Wendy mentioned she all the time anticipated their visas to be authorised finally and was shocked once they obtained their refusal discover in March final yr.
"It is all the time been type of behind our minds about ready for the visa however we weren't so nervous and we did not ever assume it might really be denied," Wendy mentioned.
"Our immigration agent was shocked too."
In its refusal notification to Wendy and Paige, seen by 9news.com.au, the Division of House Affairs mentioned that as a result of Paige was not Wendy's dependent they each had a close to relative who was not an Australian citizen or everlasting resident - one another.
"It is simply loopy, we have to be with our household," Wendy mentioned.
"Additionally, if the division hadn't taken so lengthy (to course of our visa utility) this by no means would have occurred."
Visa wait occasions 'a matter of urgency'
Final week, 9news.com.au reported on the determined plight of different remaining relative visa candidates who face a decades-long look forward to a solution on whether or not they can keep in Australia completely.
Whereas the remaining relative visa has the longest wait time, at 50 years, the processing occasions for a lot of different visas have additionally blown out over the past decade.
In line with the Division of House Affairs, mother or father visas now take about 30 years to course of, orphan visas 6.3 years and carer visas 4.5 years.
The lengthy wait occasions for household and accomplice visas had been the topic of a Senate inquiry final yr.
The inquiry's closing report, launched in April this yr, really helpful that the Division of House Affairs develop a "long-term technique to replace its system for the processing of visas" as a "matter of urgency".
Whereas Labor's Immigration Minister Andrew Giles declined to remark to 9news.com.au on the remaining relative visa wait occasions he mentioned tackling the visa backlog left by the Coalition authorities was an pressing precedence.
"When it comes to the extraordinary delays we have seen in visa processing, this can be a actual precedence for me and an Albanese Labor authorities," Giles mentioned.
"Whether or not it pertains to humanitarian, household reunion, or expert visas, we have to do a lot better."
'I will be useless by then'
Nicola Clements has been ready eight years to date for her remaining relative visa to be processed, having utilized in 2014 after popping out from the UK.
"This was the one visa I might apply for as I did not qualify for the expert visa," she mentioned.
When Nicola first utilized for the visa, she was instructed the wait could be 16 years. She mentioned she was appalled when she was knowledgeable just a few years in the past the wait was now 50 years.
"I am 53. If I want to attend 50 years for my visa to be processed, I will be useless by then."
Nicola has since turn out to be the carer for her 84-year-old mom, who she lives with in Bunbury.
She mentioned she had thought-about making use of for a carer visa, however it might contain beginning the visa course of once more and ready the 4.5 years it takes, on common, to be granted a carer visa.
Nicola, who works within the healthcare sector, mentioned dwelling on a bridging visa meant she had been unable to purchase her own residence, regardless of having a deposit prepared to take action.
"My rapid subject is housing, as a result of I can not seem to get a rental that's long run," she mentioned.
"Yearly or each two my mum and I've to maneuver. My mum is 84 and it is lots for her to maintain shifting.
"She retains asking me, 'When do you assume we will have to maneuver once more?'"
Nicola mentioned dwelling on a brief visa was aggravating and weighed on her thoughts.
"In the event that they cancel my visa, I must return to the UK and go away mum, she could be stuffed," she mentioned.
"I additionally would not have a job, a home, any household. I've type of misplaced contact with all people there.
"I attempt to not push it away and never give it some thought as a result of I get so depressed enthusiastic about it."
Contract reporter Emily McPherson at emcpherson@9.com.au