<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>Exclusive:</span></strong><span> Scottish expat Caitlin Fraser wanted to spend the rest of her life in Australia.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Now she's facing deportation over two weeks of missed work that could make her ineligible for permanent residency.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I'm not sleeping at the moment out of fear, I don't know what's going to happen," she told 9news.com.au.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/texas-floods-victims-faces-of-the-devastating-tragedy/9795e553-a367-4d8e-a1de-6d83f48c8c4a" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>The faces of the Texas flood tragedy</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I've been here for six years, all my family are here, and I have a house and a dog. I have nowhere to go."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The 31-year-old moved to Australia in 2019 on a Working Holiday Maker (WHM) visa, then applied for a Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) visa in 2023.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It would allow her to live and work in Australia for up to two years, after which time she'd apply for a Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) Visa to become a permanent resident.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/temporary-skills-shortage-visa-changes-could-see-caitlin-deported/703e3977-d0d2-4b61-8a95-3f0653832c62" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A migration agent told her it was a "clear pathway" to permanent residency</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><strong><span>Have you got a story? Contact</span></strong></em><span> </span><strong><em><span>reporter Maddison Leach at</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="mailto:mleach@nine.com.au" target="_blank" title="mleach@nine.com.au"><strong><em><span>mleach@nine.com.au</span></em></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>TSS visas are employer sponsored, so Fraser found a small business in Sydney that agreed to sponsor her as a restaurant manager.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>At the time, it was an eligible occupation for that visa.</span></div></div><div class="styles__Wrapper-sc-2o34ro-0 cmwkBV"><div class="styles__Column-sc-2o34ro-3 jJDKrX"><a href="/content/2025/06/09/12/35/jobs-fastest-salary-growth-seek-data"><img alt="" sizes="(min-width: 1024px) 636px, (min-width: 768px) 396px, 100vw" src="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/FYlZWPbABFjUg5iL4vYmneogVls=/396x223/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2F94d6907f-876d-4f9b-ab86-3436aeab2e6d" srcset="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/FYlZWPbABFjUg5iL4vYmneogVls=/396x223/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2F94d6907f-876d-4f9b-ab86-3436aeab2e6d 396w, https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/pvu4iARVJjpcErSENe-sx3dtXTU=/636x358/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2F94d6907f-876d-4f9b-ab86-3436aeab2e6d 636w"/></a></div><div class="styles__Column-sc-2o34ro-3 jJDKrX"><div class="styles__Headline-sc-2o34ro-4 hpbOlz">Want a pay rise? These jobs experienced the fastest salary growth this year </div><div class="styles__Button-sc-2o34ro-1 eBjlmW"><a class="styles__ButtonLink-sc-2o34ro-2 hqpklJ" href="/content/2025/06/09/12/35/jobs-fastest-salary-growth-seek-data">View Gallery</a></div></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>With the business sponsoring her and the help of a professional migration lawyer, Fraser applied for and was granted a TSS visa in September 2023.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She moved from Ballarat to Sydney and started work two weeks later.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>To be eligible for a TRT visa and permanent residency, Fraser would have to work for the same employer for two full years.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She knew her existing TSS visa would expire two weeks shy of that milestone but there was no limit on how many times she could apply for a TSS visa while in Australia, so Fraser simply planned to apply for a second TSS visa to cover the extra time.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>That plan went up in flames this year.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/carolina-wilga-search-for-backpacker-missing-from-outback-wa-expands-across-australia/91d37c37-34cd-4f4a-9c22-a16cf6ebfa4e" target="_blank"><strong><span>The call from missing backpacker's mum that raised the alarm</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In May, Fraser received a devastating call from her migration agent.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>They explained that changes to Australia's visas meant Fraser was no longer allowed to renew her visa, nor would she be eligible to apply for a TRT visa by the time it expired.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Suddenly, she was facing the very real possibility of deportation.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In December 2024, the TSS visa was replaced by the Skills in Demand (SID) visa.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>People who had already been granted TSS visas would be allowed to stay in Australia until the visa's expiry date but they would not be allowed to renew.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Some could apply for SID visas – but not Fraser, as restaurant manager is not on the list of eligible occupations.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>“Whilst the occupation of Café or Restaurant Manager was previously available for nomination for a Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) visa, the occupation has not been included on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) and is therefore ineligible for nomination for a SID visa,” a Department of Home Affairs spokesperson told 9news.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It means she will have to leave the country when her current visa expires, just two weeks shy of completing the two years of fulltime work required to apply for a TRT visa.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Of the employment requirements for a TRT visa, the Department spokesperson said “applicants are required to demonstrate they have worked in eligible sponsored employment for at least two out of the last three years while holding a 457 [Temporary Work (Skilled) visa] or 482 [formerly TSS, now SID] visa”.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Fraser is frustrated that changes made to the TSS visa long after she was approved have now made her ineligible for permanent residency.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The injustice is insane," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"This should be for new people applying, not for someone who's at the end of the visa. This isn't what I paid for."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Fraser paid $14,000 to secure her existing visa with the help of an immigration lawyer.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She's now working with them in the hopes of finding a solution that will allow her to legally work in Australia for the extra two weeks she need to be eligible for a TRT visa.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>If and when she is able to apply for that visa, she will be granted a bridging visa that will cover her while it is processed.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But Fraser fears she won't make it that far.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Even if she finds a way to legally work the extra two weeks, she may not be able to afford to apply for permanent residency.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Applying for a TRT visa costs upwards of $4900 and Fraser has been quoted $9000 in additional fees from her immigration lawyer.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She's still paying off the $14,000 from her TSS visa and had hoped that renewing it would give her more time to save money for the TRT application.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I live week to week, I'm on the minimum that they can give me, and I live in Sydney which is the most expensive city in the world," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/jane-birkin-original-hermes-bag-sells-at-auction-for-whopping-86-million-euros/c2ae1a37-feee-47ac-9247-5731ea5f8b39" target="_blank"><strong><span>'Most famous handbag of all time' sells for $15 million</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="styles__Wrapper-sc-2o34ro-0 cmwkBV"><div class="styles__Column-sc-2o34ro-3 jJDKrX"><a href="/content/2025/04/07/10/57/top-10-most-expensive-postcodes-in-australia"><img alt="" sizes="(min-width: 1024px) 636px, (min-width: 768px) 396px, 100vw" src="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/r0jzGXmoZjNBxIrvZtBcsh6N6OA=/396x223/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2Ffb998fb6-6553-4b70-885d-4c7abdb412c8" srcset="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/r0jzGXmoZjNBxIrvZtBcsh6N6OA=/396x223/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2Ffb998fb6-6553-4b70-885d-4c7abdb412c8 396w, https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/Xu0sh3y4e4DBCL6qjb8Xp88F-E0=/636x358/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2Ffb998fb6-6553-4b70-885d-4c7abdb412c8 636w"/></a></div><div class="styles__Column-sc-2o34ro-3 jJDKrX"><div class="styles__Headline-sc-2o34ro-4 hpbOlz">The suburbs Australia's richest people call home</div><div class="styles__Button-sc-2o34ro-1 eBjlmW"><a class="styles__ButtonLink-sc-2o34ro-2 hqpklJ" href="/content/2025/04/07/10/57/top-10-most-expensive-postcodes-in-australia">View Gallery</a></div></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Applying without the assistance of an immigration lawyer to save money isn't an option either.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It's impossible for me alone to do the application in eight weeks. It's a massive process, even the migration officers are going to find it hard to do it in that time," Fraser said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Fraser's family have started an online crowdfunding campaign to help cover the costs.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>If she's unable to secure or pay for a new visa before her TSS visa expires, she'll be forced to leave Australia on September 14.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>With no savings and no family back in Scotland, Fraser doesn't know where she'll go if that comes to pass.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She fears she won't be the only one forced out of the country due to changes to the old TSS visa.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple App Store</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google Play</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>.</span></em></strong></div></div>