Brisbane teens facing deportation to Korea after dad’s heart-wrenching 15-year visa battle
An Australian-born girl and her teenage brother face deportation to South Korea, despite barely speaking the language, unless the Immigration Minister steps in to end their family’s 15-year visa nightmare.
Two Brisbane children face deportation to South Korea, a country they barely know, unless their father can convince the federal Immigration Minister to use his powers to end the family’s 15-year visa nightmare.
One of the children, Anna Yoon, aged 11, was born in Australia but would have to return with her 14-year-old brother Kyuisup and her parents despite not speaking Korean well enough to cope with school.
The distraught family were on a precarious bridging visa which had to be renewed every three months — but with no certainty it would be renewed at all.
Their troubles began almost as soon as Kiyeong Yoon arrived in Brisbane in 2011 to start work as an interior designer with a shop fitting company.
His wife Eunkyeong arrived a few months later with their son, then only three months old, to start a new life.
But Mr Yoon said his employer forced him to work crushing hours, up to 15 hours a day and up to six days a week, including on his son’s first birthday.
He had no time or energy to take on language courses, but at that time the law granted an exemption from English proficiency rules to high-earning, in-demand and skilled workers.
After four years of gruelling work, including being ordered to demolish shop interiors at night without penalty payments, he asked to cut back his hours so he could learn English.
The family’s immigration lawyer, Chang Park from Park & Co, said in a statement to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) that the employer became angry and demanded Mr Yoon take unpaid leave.
But the employer then indicated they would no longer “sponsor’’ Mr Yoon, forcing him to find a new job.
He was also told to pay them “visa fees’’ and sign a deed of release, only to discover his new employer also demanded he work such long hours that in 2017 he crashed his car due to exhaustion.
Mr Yoon was then sacked after filing a WorkCover claim.
By 2019 the family’s situation became desperate when the Department of Home Affairs refused their 482 (temporary skill shortage) visa application because Mr Yoon did not meet tough new English proficiency rules introduced in 2017.
The AAT upheld the decision two years ago.
Since then the Yoons having been living on a knife edge, unable to buy a home or put down permanent roots due to uncertainty about their future.
Mr Yoon said it would be extremely difficult to restart their lives in Korea.
“Especially for my kids, it’s hard for them to get used to Korean culture as it’s completely different,” he said.
“They are more comfortable speaking in English as that’s what they do with their friends.
“They do use Korean at home, but they don’t understand a lot of words. The two even talk in English among themselves.”
The children were excellent students. Kyuisup was class captain at top-performing Mansfield State High School and a “straight A’’ student, his proud dad said.
The Yoons’ lawyer, Chang Park from Park & Co, said they had been productive, model citizens for more than 14 years.
“Their Australian-born daughter is a citizen and the family has now exhausted all available visa options to remain lawfully in Australia,’’ Mr Park said.
“Their only remaining avenue is to seek personal intervention by the minister, a lawful and discretionary power that has been exercised in numerous compassionate circumstances.’’
He said the long hours Mr Yoon had been forced to work “stripped’’ him of the ability to meet the English proficiency rules and also left him exhausted and stressed.
The family has written to their local federal MP, Kara Cook, but she said it was now up Immigration Minister Tony Burke.
“Mr Yoon’s matter is with the minister and we have been in communication with them about it,’’ she said.
“The Minister’s office are aware of Mr Yoon and are looking into the situation.”
The Yoons have also launched a change.org petition which has already attracted more than 2000 signatures.
His current employer has submitted a glowing reference for Mr Yoon, describing the now 53-year-old as a skilled, innovative and hard worker.
But Mr Yoon admitted English was difficult for him and having worked in Korean-run companies did not help him pick up the language.
He said despite their ordeal the family had built a circle of friends, especially through church activities and his interest in fishing.
“Australia has become our true home and our family has strived to contribute to this society through our work and daily lives,’’ he said on the change.org petition.
“My daughter became an Australian citizen last year but my wife, son and I still maintain our visa status and residency status.
“It is not acceptable for my youngest daughter, who is now 11, to be left alone in Australia or to leave the country where she has lived her entire life.
“We have built our lives in Australia. Leaving now means saying goodbye to the place we have called home for the past 15 years.
“It also means saying goodbye to the friends, colleagues and community that we have loved and cherished.
“We urge the minister to consider our family’s situation with compassion and empathy. This is our family’s last hope.’’
A Department of Home Affairs spokesperson said they could not comment on individual cases.
