Latest Update

Community Support :)

↓

Personal Situation

14/03/2024

LATEST UPDATES

I was able to obtain a Bridging Visa E to apply for Ministerial Intervention.

I am collecting all supportive documents I can to consolidate the application for Ministerial Intervention requesting Permanent Residency.

I started to reach out for support requesting reference letters and have been deeply touched by the help I got offered. So far I received:

a symbole representing a visa for partner visa and immigration

CURRENT VISA STATUS Bridging Visa E

UPDATE
Ministerial Intervention

symbol representing a page for written reference letters

COMMUNITY SUPPORT

REFERENCE LETTERS members of the public clients and friends

SIGNATURES from the stand holders of the Byron Shire Market

a thank card with a smiley face and a smiley face

08/03 Ministerial Intervention

application submitted

13/03 BVE granted for 3 months

ends on 30th June

OFFICE OF SENATOR SHOEBRIDGE

The Office of Senator David Shoebridge has come forward offering support with a reference letter.

How it started

MY STORY

Hello!

My name is Lucie Manzano, I'm 33 years old, and I have been living and working in Australia since 2015 – already 8 years, I can't believe it! My visa was refused by the Australian Administrative Tribunal on the 24th of November 2023 and from the 30th of December, I had to close bookings at Koannou.

I have been on a Bridging Partner Visa since 2017 and am no longer with my partner. We were together for 3.5 years, and I had to leave the relationship due to domestic violence.

Despite fulfilling the court's requirement by proving I was in a relationship with my ex-partner, that abuse occurred, and obtaining a Domestic Violence Order for 5 years that restrains him from having direct or indirect contact with me, the Department of Home Affairs and the Australian Administrative Tribunal have refused to acknowledge the genuineness of our relationship and, as a consequence, refused the validity of my visa.

Unfortunately, I am one of the cases who were in a committed relationship but cannot prove it according to The Migration Regulations 1994, or cases that get dismissed despite providing substantial information that indirectly confirms the reason their lack of evidence is due to the manipulative behavior of the partner despite a genuine relationship.

It's been a wild ride to overcome the trauma associated with this period of my life, the lack of support post-court procedure, and generally understanding the legal procedure in Australia to advocate for myself.

This year is the first time in 5 years I feel my body and mind recovering from that time, and it took me a long time to learn tools that can help with somatic healing. It took stepping in and offering support to others via my massage studio Koannou, to be capable of creating durable change within me. It also took people who helped me in moments of crisis without asking anything from me, to truly recognize they could be impactful with small gestures.

Without starting to recover on a holistic level, I would not have had the resilience to speak up and share my journey here, nor to request Ministerial Intervention oven 5 years ago.

I cannot express how overwhelming and heartbreaking this situation is. Australia has been my home for the majority of my adult life. My motivations are clear: I am requesting Ministerial intervention in the hope of being heard and in the process, helping those who fall through the cracks of a legal system and legislation that is not adapted to all cases. I wish nobody else had to go through what I have been through.

In cases where partners know the laws and how to use them to their advantage, the spouse/victim is left with little to no evidence that can prove abuse occurred and/or a genuine relationship. They fall through the cracks of the system and, instead of being protected by the Department of Home Affairs, cases are dismissed and sent back to their country after being broken on so many levels. I am one of these cases.

So thank you from the bottom of my heart for being here for me in this turbulent time! And if you have never seen me before and are only here to get some inspiration to help someone else, I truly and sincerely champion you!

STEP 2 - Apply for :

MINISTERIAL INTERVENTION

As you may know, by now, I made a request Ministerial Intervention. That means I need to create a solid case for compelling and compassionate Ministerial consideration.

I know it can be overwhelming for some to write a reference letter and not know where or how to start. It’s my case and I know some of you will want to do your best and freeze, feeling too overwhelmed with lack of clarity. That’s clearly how it happened to me these last weeks/months!

I thought I would make a document initially for my friends and people from my community and then I realized it could be helpful for someone else across Australia or overseas that never heard about me. So here we are, I'm creating a section on my website to share about this sensitive subject and make the useful resources I find along the way useful for a broader audience.

Below is the guide that I wish I had access to easily a few years ago. I will most likely update it over time depending on the feedback that I receive.

I made a Question & Answer section to help with clarification so you can always check for updates there.

I hope you have a lovely day ahead!

Warmly,

Lucie Manzano