UK family booted from Australia for being ‘too old’

A British family faces being booted from Australia after eight years because they were deemed “too old” to stay.

A British family faces being booted from their home of eight years after Australian immigration policy deemed them “too old” to stay.

Parents Glenn, 57, and Sheena Tunnicliff, 50, moved from the UK to Perth in 2015 to start a new life with their two young daughters, Tazmin and Molly.

The family settled in Warwick, a suburb in the city’s north. Glenn got a job as a plasterer while Sheena opened a Helloworld travel franchise, where she employed three people.

Their daughters are now starting their own careers with Tazmin, 21, working as a nurse and Molly, 18, studying Australian Sign Language.

But after living and working in Australia for almost a decade, the family faces being forced to move back to the UK.

The Tunnicliffs moved from the UK to Perth eight years ago. Picture: Facebook.

Glenn and Sheena were ordered to leave by August 4 after they were unable to secure permanent residency due to various visa and job changes over the years.

Permanent residency has an age limit of 45, meaning now, neither parent qualifies.

“We don’t want to go back to the UK. We’ve made a life here,” Sheena previously told Channel 9.

“Now we are over that magic figure of 45 there is no route to PR for us. Australia classes us as too old [but] we are the ones with the experience and training.”

Sheena added the family had spent $80,000 on visas since moving.

They face being forced home because Glenn, 57, and Sheena, 50, are “too old”. Picture: Facebook.

This week, the family were offered a last-minute “temporary Band-Aid” that will extend their visas until July 2024, but they say they will relocate to New Zealand rather than stay in Australia in limbo.

In New Zealand, where the age cut-off is 55, Sheena is eligible for permanent residency. Bizarrely, after five years across the Tasman, the Tunnicliffs could become New Zealand citizens which would allow them to return to Australia to live.

“We’d take all our skills and we’d go to New Zealand,” Sheena told Channel 9.

“It’s crazy. Australia’s lost all our skills. In five years time we could walk back into Australia.”

Their eldest daughter Tazmin has applied for her own visa to stay in Australia, which has been her home since she was a young teen. Her sister Molly, however, is in the same situation as their parents.

The sisters will be separated because Tazmin’s career as a nurse means she qualifies for a student visa, while Molly’s pursuit of Australian Sign Language means she does not.

To make matters worse, the family doubts their dog, Roxy, will be able to make the journey — either home or to New Zealand. Roxy was still young when she moved Down Under all those years ago but now, aged 14, she likely wouldn’t survive the flight.