Ep. 6 "How I Got My Australian Permanent Residency – Family Decisions, Process, and the Struggles Within

Ep. 6

How I Got My Australian Permanent Residency – Family Decisions, Process, and the Struggles Within

Hello everyone, this is Susan from Artisue. Today, I want to share a story that’s a little more serious —the journey of how I got my Australian permanent residency, and the family conflicts and struggles that came with it.

I immigrated to Australia in 1998, right after finishing Year 6 in Korea. My father was a tailor, and he came to Australia through a sponsorship as a pattern maker. The visa was called a 457 visa —basically, a temporary work visa.

After that, our family applied for permanent residency.

But later, we found out something shocking. The boss who had sponsored my father never intended to help us get PR. He just wanted to use my father for a short time and then send our family back to Korea.

To make things worse, the migration agent and accountant handling our papers were actually working with that boss. They never properly lodged our documents or tax records, so in the end, we lost our chance to get PR.

When all this came to light, I was in Year 11.We received an official letter from the Australian government saying, “You must leave the country within 30 days.”That moment… it felt like my entire world collapsed.

Actually, my mum had sensed something was wrong even earlier —around the time I was in Year 9.She said to my dad, “Why is there no record of our tax payments? Something’s not right. I think this boss is scamming us.”

But my dad refused to believe her. He trusted the boss completely and even started doubting my mum instead.

Eventually, their arguments became unbearable, and my mum, heartbroken, decided to go back to Korea. She was ready to end the marriage.

But two years later, the truth came out. I called my mum and said,“ Mum, our PR got rejected. We might have to leave Australia. What do we do?”

There was a long silence on the phone, and then she said, “You’re in Year 11.If you come back to Korea now… your life will be over.”

After that, my mum sold everything she had in Korea and came back to Australia. She reunited with my dad, and together they started all over again —with a new sponsor, a new agent, and a new application for PR.

During that time, I went to the Immigration Office almost every day. I checked every document myself, read all the English paperwork, and tried to understand what went wrong. Since my parents didn’t speak English well, I handled almost everything on my own.

That experience taught me how terrifying bureaucracy can be. Even now, whenever someone says, “You need to fill out an application, ”my heart sinks a little. That trauma still lingers. But it also made me a very thorough and detail-oriented person.

After years of struggle, by the end of Year 12,we finally received our permanent residency. It was a long, painful, but unforgettable journey.

During my final year of high school, I didn’t have time to think about dreams or career goals. All I could think was, “Just graduate. Just survive. ”Looking back, I’m proud of that younger version of me —just surviving was already enough.

Now, as a mother raising a teenage son, my goal is simple. I want to protect him during his school years, so he never has to give up his dreams because of money or unstable circumstances.

I may never completely forget the hardship of my youth, but instead, I want to heal it through my son —by giving him the stable, peaceful environment I never had, so he can find his own path with confidence.

This isn’t just a story about getting permanent residency. It’s a story about a family that chose to believe in each other againand stood back up after losing everything.It’s also one of the most defining chapters of my life.

I hope that in your own life,you’ll also experience momentswhere you rise again. 🌿

This was Susan from Artisue.Thank you for listening.