Immigration law is an incredibly rewarding area of law because we are often directly involved in matters that greatly impact the lives of the individuals and families we assist. We have a multitude of amazing stories that remind us of the importance of the work that we do. The following is just one such story.
We met Deng* when he was just 15 years of age. Deng was born in a refugee camp in Kenya but his parents were of Sudanese citizenship. Deng’s parents had passed away when he was young and he was in the sole custody of his brother, Michael.
Michael had a fiancé in Australia and travelled here with his 15-year-old brother, Deng, on a Prospective Marriage (Subclass 300) visa. Deng was a dependent on this visa. Tragically, shortly after Michael married his fiancé, he died in a workplace accident, leaving Deng without any surviving family members. Deng was able to stay in the care of Michael’s widowed wife for some time. In the midst of this issue, however, a civil conflict broke out in South Sudan.
Deng was unable to travel home and lodged a protection (Subclass 866) visa with our office’s assistance. After some years had passed, Deng was ultimately granted the protection visa and continued his studies and work in Australia.
At the age of 21, Deng started his own contractor business and lodged his application for Australian Citizenship. Deng now operates a very successful business that employs more than five Australians and is continuing to grow. Simultaneously, Deng enjoys DJing in his small Sudanese community in Canberra and partakes in many cultural events. He is an asset to his community and many people look up to him as a strong, reliable individual. Deng puts his community above everything else and his inspiring story is just one of many that we love to share.
*Names have been changed to protect privacy.
