On Monday Jan 11, Jaspal Singh and his wife Mandeep Kaur waited expectantly at Melbourne international airport arrival hall, for Jaspal’s parents to arrive from India. Jaspal was to meet them after five years and Mandeep was going to meet her parents in law for the first time. But tragedy struck soon after Jaspal’s parents made their way out with the luggage – his father, Gurdial Singh collapsed; he was unable to be revived by the paramedics and was pronounced dead.
What compounded the tragedy further for Jaspal was the restrictions placed on his visa and it seemed unlikely that he’d be able to accompany his fathers’ body to India and perform the last rites. The restriction meant that Jaspal would be unable to re-enter Australia, if he ever departed the country. Jaspal and his wife Mandeep appealed to Immigration Peter Dutton for his personal intervention. On Friday January 15, the Minister exercised the power vested in him under section 195A of the Migration Act 1958, and granted Jaspal a Bridging B Visa (subclass 020).
Jaspal Singh (with family) will now be able to leave Australia for the funeral of his father. He is required to re-enter Australia no later than 1st of March 2016.
Listen to the audio above in which both Jaspal and Mandeep have described their personal circumstances – and profusely thanked the Minister for his intervention.
Source: Mandeep Kaur
