British couple win visa battle after MS deportation fear

A British couple who feared being deported from Australia after one of them was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) say they are “proud” to have been granted permanent residency.

Jessica Mathers, originally from Cheshire, had previously been told the potential cost of treating her condition for the health services meant a previous application alongside her boyfriend Rob O’Leary had been rejected.

The couple appealed against the decision in 2023 and launched an online petition earlier this year calling for Australia’s minister for home affairs to review their case.

They recently shared they had been granted a visa after “a nearly four-year-long, emotional road”.

In their latest post, they said: “We are proud to announce we are Australia’s newest Permanent Residents!”

They added they were “over the moon” when their MP Allegra Spender told them that Tony Burke, minister for immigration, “personally contacted her to confirm the decision”.

Ms Mathers and Mr O’Leary, from London, met while backpacking in the country in 2017 and have lived there ever since.

In 2020, she was diagnosed with the relapsing-remitting variant of MS, which is a neurological condition with symptoms including muscle stiffness and difficulties in walking and talking.

Ms Mathers received treatment in Australia under a reciprocal health agreement with the UK and said her condition had been “well managed” so far.

But the couple’s requests for permanent residency were rejected in 2023 due to the costs linked to her medical care.

Non-citizens entering Australia must meet certain health requirements, including not having “unduly increasing costs” for the country’s publicly-funded healthcare service Medicare.

Mr O’Leary said they had offered to pay the medical costs themselves or take out private insurance, adding that “the law is black and white, and the refusal is based on that, it’s really hard for us”.

Their petition, which drew more than 25,000 signatures, called on Australia’s minister for home affairs to review their case and look into immigration policies that “unfairly target individuals with well-managed health conditions”.

Mr O’Leary, who works in the construction trade, and his partner, who is a project manager and DJ, were “not asking for special treatment” but a chance to continue “working hard to contribute to this country in meaningful ways”.

In their latest post, they thanked supporters and said “there are so many things we’ve put on hold – just in case we had to leave”.

“But now, with this door wide open, we feel more focused and excited than ever to build our future in the country we love.

“Our families are overjoyed and already thinking of planning a trip to celebrate with us.”