Bendigo community rallies around Italian dad Andrea Tindiani

An Italian citizen’s cry for help to stay in Australia to be close to his Aussie-born son has won the hearts and minds of Bendigo.

A Victorian community has rallied in support of a single father facing deportation to Italy, backing his appeal to the Immigration Minister to allow him to remain in the region.

An online petition and fundraising page for 37-year-old Andrea Tindiani has gathered more than 1000 signatures and nearly $6000 to allow him to continue living near Bendigo to support his Australian child.

Mr Tindiani said he had lived in Australia for 11 years but had lost his employer sponsorship for his visa and had since had a series of temporary visas which were set to expire.

Single dad Andrea Tindiani wants to stay with his Australian-born son Marley. Picture: Supplied

He shares eight-year-old son Marley with his ex-partner, but cannot apply for a spousal visa due to the break-up.

The pair have an amicable relationship and Mr Tindiani is actively involved in picking his son up from school and caregiving.

“As a young boy I lacked a male role model,” he said in his petition.

“As a mature adult I understand the negative impact it had on me and what it took to father myself.

“I don’t want my son to unnecessarily experience similar hardship. I want to be here for him.”

Mr Tindiani faces an urgent tribunal hearing on June 20 to seek intervention from Immigration Minister Andrew Giles on compassionate grounds.

Mr Tindiani said in his petition he wanted to highlight the lack of an appropriate visas to allow parents to remain in the country to support their children after a relationship breakdown and job loss.

“There’s no pathway at the moment for people in this situation,” he said.

The Department of Home Affairs has been contacted for comment.