In April this year, Immigration News published a story on Tania Ahmed's incredibly long wait to be granted her Permanent Residency Visa. Recently Tania Ahmed received the news that she had been waiting for since 2008. She was finally an Australian Permanent Residence, a choice she made among other reasons for Australia's liberated attitude towards women.
She has a spring in her step, a shine of happiness and relief in her eyes but mostly she has the glow of someone sure of her place. She says "Now I feel secure, I can concentrate on my business, earlier I was haunted by the fear that I might have to leave at some point."
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Tania rejoices at her shop that the years of uncertainty are finally over
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Owning her own home and business has always been something Tania's been sure of but had no idea the wait would be this long. "It was a hard few years not having the surety and seal of approval from Immigration. My mother came to my studio and was shocked I live in a bird-cage" she laughs. The bird-cage is actually a cozy little studio but it was a huge adjustment for Tania who grew up in a big house surrounded by a well-tended garden and has her own town house back home. Tania says "My mother couldn't understand why I would give up such a comfortable life for the struggle that I was going through to make a life in Australia"
Right now all Tania wants to do is focus on the future. She is in the process of filing her daughters' application to join her and has booked her tickets home to visit them after a gap of four years. She speaks rapidly about her plans for her daughters' and it seems like she is going to more than make up for the long lonely years of separation.
She says "I know a lot of people don't understand that a mother can stay away from her children for so long and the wait has been torture but I can't help but think of the opportunities they will get in Australia that would be denied to them back home"
"When I left my younger one was a toddler, now she is taller than I am but all I want them to know is the avenues for success and growth they will have in Australia will be tremendous. I can give them a bright future. They would have my business to join when they are ready or they can follow their own passion but I know I am building something that I am proud of"
Even though she has had a long wait and a lot of people would have given up and gone home rather face the uncertainty she has been through Tania says she has no regrets "I would do it all over again because at the end of the day I have a chance to do what I truly love doing and if one is honest and makes a genuine effort to be a contributing part of the society, Australia is a great place to be"
She makes her own range of mouth-watering cakes and ice-creams at her wonderful little store on Balmain's busy Darling St and her next project is a Bar and Restaurant that she is already looking at waterfront properties for.
It looks like nothing is going to slow her down now that she knows she is here for good. I leave her poring over floor plans with a smile on her face, a radiance of contentment about her and realize in some cases dreams do come true.
