As Noman Shahid stood inside Bowman Hall raising his right hand and swearing his oath of allegiance to Australia, he wondered about what was missing instead of thinking about how far he has come.
It was meant to be the proudest day of his life, the culmination of six years of hard work and building a future far from where he grew up. But as the applause echoed throughout the hall, the data operator looked at the empty seat meant for his wife.
The Department of Home Affairs had refused her visitor visa despite public assurance from the portfolio's minister that partners awaiting visas would be allowed to visit Australia regularly. Her application was rejected on the grounds she posed an "overstay risk".
