Immigration rejects bid of Filipino nurse for permanent residency by Neil Galang

The government appears to be cuddling ‘boat people’, many of whom are cutting corners to acquire permanent residency in Australia. These so-called ‘asylum seekers’ throw away all identification papers while in the high seas, making it even more difficult for immigration authorities to process their application. Many of them can hardly speak English. Those who are fortunate enough to stay are given free English lessons and receive generous housing, medical and financial assistance.

Let’s set them aside and focus our attention to legitimate Filipino applicants. Take the case of a Filipino nurse from Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental.

Clarissa arrived in Australia on December 2010. She enrolled as an international student at the University of Western Sydney Hawkesbury Campus. She spent some $46,000 to complete a 3-year course that earned for her a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing.

Her application to be a registered nurse in Australia is currently under process, pending her taking IELTS (International English Language Testing System).

The IELTS has two modules, Academic and General. Both modules consist of four (4) components: reading, writing, speaking and listening. (Argel, July 2002)

It is in the ‘listening‘ component where newly-arrived Filipinos fail because of their unfamiliarity with the Australian accent.

She worked at Westmead Rehabilitation Hospital.

On the strength of her student’s visa, Clarissa was allowed to work for a maximum of  20 hours a week. She needed the money to cover her normal living expenses.

She quoted her Westmead Hospital manager as saying: “I know you as a person and that you should not leave the country because you are a good asset to the hospital. You speak English well and you communicate well. You have good nursing skills.” The manager of the nursing unit said she would write a letter of recommendation stating that she is a person of good moral character and that she speaks and communicates well in English.

The Department of Immigration required Clarissa to leave Australia by May 20, 2013. As of press time, this writer who is president of Blacktown Migrant Workers Union is still in the process of asking the Department of Immigration to allow her to stay to complete the IELTS requirement which was to take place after the scheduled departure date.