Heartwarming update for Bathurst family facing deportation from Australia after Daily Mail Australia revealed their legal battle

A family of four who faced deportation to Vietnam after their Australian sponsor made a ‘mistake’ have been allowed to stay after being granted permanent residency.

The beloved Nguyen family have lived in Bathurst in central NSW since 2015, after matriarch Hue was sponsored as head chef at a local Vietnamese restaurant.

The family applied for permanent residency in 2017, but were told two years later that their application had been rejected – for a reason beyond their control.

It was at that time that the Nguyens learned that their sponsor, who owned the restaurant along with other local businesses including a nail salon, had hired an individual with an expired visa.

This meant that the company that sponsored them had lost the ability to nominate employees, but the family was not informed until they received the rejection letter.

Adding to the family’s frustration was the purchase of the restaurant ‘Anam’, from their sponsor, a month before their rejection – as they were told they had no choice but to buy it.

Eldest son Duc previously told Daily Mail Australia that their sponsor said the restaurant would be closed if the family did not buy it and they would lose all hope of having their residence permit approved.

“At the time we didn’t know any different, so we did what they said,” Duc said.

The Nguyen family (photo, from left to right: Duc, Hoa, Hue and Justin) were left with uncertainty after their sponsor made a mistake and their application for permanent residence was rejected twice

The Nguyens filed an appeal with the Administrative Court of Appeal (AAT) in October 2019, but the process was delayed due to Covid.

After three hearing dates were ultimately assigned in May and June 2023, the family’s application was again unsuccessful.

This time, the family was told the reason was that their original sponsor’s financial position was not strong enough to sponsor Mrs. Nguyen.

The family’s last chance was to submit a ministerial intervention to Immigration Minister Tony Burke in August – and the family are “extremely grateful” they were successful.

The Nguyens recently shared an update about them petition change.orgwhere we thank the minister and their community.

‘Victory. We finally have it! We have been granted permanent residency,” they wrote.

The beloved family is grateful for all the support they have received and was excited to announce that their permanent resident visas had finally been approved (pictured Mother Hue serving local customers)

‘We would like to take a moment to express our deepest gratitude to all of you who have stood by us during these challenging times.

‘Your continued support and encouragement has been the lifeline we needed, and without you we really couldn’t have made it.

They also thanked their local MP Andrew Gee and former Bathurst mayor Jess Jennings, who previously told Daily Mail Australia how much Bathurst loved and supported the family.

“Personally, I’ve been eating there (at Anam’s) for the last 10 years and I didn’t know they were under an immigration cloud,” Sister Jennings said.

“I want them to stay in this community where they belong.

‘They have also made a unique contribution to the culinary landscape in Bathurst, which contributes to (the city’s) culture.’

The local mayor had said the family made a ‘unique contribution to the culinary landscape in Bathurst’ (customers pictured with Hue and youngest son Justin standing)

Cr Jennings even organized a mayoral minute to have a letter of support written and signed for the Nguyens to send to the immigration minister – the vote was unanimous and every councilor signed it.

The community’s support for Nguyend has made them even more proud to belong to the city.

“We are proud to be part of this wonderful community and look forward to many more shared moments together!” the family wrote.