A grieving Italian widower has found himself stuck in limbo in Warrnambool after his flight home on Thursday was postponed leaving him with a visa and insurance that are set to expire within days.
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Nicolo Lombino, 78, who lives in Palermo lost his wife of more than 40 years, Maria Enna, in late November and decided to spend three months with his only son, Davide, who has lived in Warrnambool for six years.
Mr Lombino has been told he now has to apply for a new visa - a process that could leave the pensioner more than $1000 out of pocket - and he fears there is no guarantee it will be approved.
His family hopes the government will start to cut through the red tape that is causing their father so much anxiety.
But despite that, the family knows they are lucky that he was in Warrnambool and not Italy when the coronavirus pandemic spread
While Mr Lombino had been keen to return home and was booked to leave on Thursday, he had been told by his nephew, a doctor working at the coalface of the Covid-19 pandemic in southern Italy, not to risk it. But his airline ended up suspending the flight until July 4.
With Italy now in lockdown, and non-residents banned from entering Australia, Mr Lombino's family have been lobbying the government to waive the conditions of his visa which, while it permits him to stay in Australia for 12 months, requires him to exit and re-enter the country every three months.
Davide said that any international travel would have put his father in direct risk of contracting coronavirus.
And while the possibility of leaving and re-entering Australia is no longer an option, it does leave Mr Lombino in Australia on an expired visa - something Davide said made his father nervous because he was someone who liked to do the right thing.
"He's a little bit worried. He's the kind of guy who likes to do everything right," Davide said.
Davide said the Department of Immigration had told his father to apply for a new visa - which has an application fee of $375 alone, when all he needed was a waiver of conditions based on his already valid visa
Part of the application process meant he also had to undergo a series of health check at a certified clinic in Melbourne but because of the virus he can't get an appointment. His visa expires Monday.
"We understand that this is a unique situation, however the Immigration Department should have a free humanitarian bridging visa in place for those who find themselves in a similar situation to my father," Davide said.
"These are visitors to Australia who want to do the right thing and not become un-lawful in this country. They want to protect their own health, the health of their families and greater communities by not risking unnecessary travel.
"These people require advocacy, not anxiety.
"One thing Italy has shown the world is that in the face of a global pandemic, these circumstances require solidarity as a community, as a nation, and as a global society."
Mr Lombino's travel insurance has also expired and, because he is not in Italy, he cannot extend it.
They are concerned that the six-month coverage agreement under Medicare, which will run out in three months before he can return home, could leave him at risk of racking up a health care debt if he becomes ill.
The family say they have been told by the Department of Immigration that there are many people in the same situation as Mr Lombino.
The Guardian reported on Friday that as many as two million temporary visa holders risk breaking migration laws with international travel at a standstill because of global pandemic.
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