Those of you who read this blog (surely no-one!-ed.) will know that my wife and I have been in a visa process for over two and a half years now. Ann's initial PR application was submitted in February of 2017, a temporary visa was granted in March 2018, her daughter's (dependants) visa shortly followed that and yesterday, both were granted permanent residency in Australia.

This is a cause for much rejoicing. The process is long and difficult and expensive, though more onerous yet is the sheer difficulty of proving genuine love and commitment to sceptical strangers. It is the job of immigration officers to test the bona fides of applicants and that is perfectly fair. It is not unreasonable for them to demand a high standard of evidence. What is hard is the finding of that evidence where there is only flesh and blood, words and actions, beseeching thoughts that cannot be translated onto a neatly typed page or rendered as a legal document.

But here we are and I am grateful for the impartiality and fairness of Australian immigration officers. Congratulations to my wife Ann and her daughter JJ. A new dawn today.