Fix It Campaign: Immigration Minister Peter Dutton on Kartik’s case

An Indian national will get to stay in the country after a bureaucratic loophole meant he was in danger of being sent home.

Greg Joyce runs a painting business and told Neil Mitchell yesterday his employee, Kartik, was facing deportation.

All because he had applied for Kartik’s permanent residency 11 days before his visa was due to run out.

‘Because I’ve applied 11 days too early, that will get cancelled, his 457 will get cancelled – his best option is to leave the country,’ Mr Joyce said.?

‘It’s like a bad game of chess, you do one wrong move and it’s not just you lose the game, you get kicked out and have to start again.’

Kartik, who works as a foreman and has lived in Australia for more than eight years, has a one-month-old son.

‘In the 12 years of running my business, nobody has worked as hard as him or strived to succeed as hard as him,’ Mr Joyce said.

But Immigration Minister Peter Dutton today told Neil Mitchell the Department will today contact Kartik and get it sorted.

‘It’s a legislative requirement that people need two years work experience on that visa, and he has applied before that date, it’s a legal requirement but it’s a bureaucratic issue,’ he said.

‘We can sit down with Kartrik and go through the details.’

Click PLAY to hear Mr Dutton explain more: