In 2007, she was a 23-year-old international student who chose Australia as her education destination. A decade later and 10 years older, she returned a married woman, this time, on her husband’s decision.
Sarah Ahmed had not intended to stay on in Australia while she was at university. She went back to Pakistan armed with her university degree and “beautiful memories of friendship, caring for people and having a good day.”
Highlights:
- Sarah came to Australia as an international student
- She received her divorced papers via email
- Sarah says that Australian support system helps those in need and there should be more awareness about it
Race for immigration
A few years after returning to Pakistan, she had an arranged marriage, a traditional way of setting a couple up and marrying them off, common to South Asian cultures.
One of the key considerations of her marriage was her Australian education.
“Having studied in Australia increases your chances of getting permanent residency,” Sarah tells SBS Urdu.
“My in-laws were quite clear about the fact that my educational background will help my husband migrate to Australia,” she recalls.
Arranged marriages are often conditional alliances that may seek support - financial or otherwise - in matters such as migration.
After marriage, the couple moved to another country from where Sarah’s husband applied for Australian permanent residency.
In a year’s time, it was granted. He was well on track to make his dream of migrating to a developed country come true, an ambition shared many of his compatriots.
But for Sarah, it was “a very sad and lonely time.”
I was not allowed to work or drive. I tried to get a job and on interview day, I was locked up at home till the interview time had expired.
Things came to such a pass that her husband threatened to divorce her. This was, perhaps, the turning point in Sarah’s life as she now decided to leave him. She moved to Sydney.
Within a month, she received the divorce papers.
It was all over.
Australian permanent residency to the rescue
It was never Sarah the student’s plan to make Australia her permanent home. But Sarah the wife took a U-turn.
“I never thought of Australia as a long-term destination for myself. Even for studies, it wasn’t my go-to place. But things moved in a way that I kept coming back to this wonderful place,” she recollects.
Being a permanent resident meant that she could live on in Australia, unlike many spouses who come here on a visitor or spouse visa, and mostly return home close to its date of expiry.
“I was lucky that I had permanent residency, otherwise I would have had to return to Pakistan, where unfortunately, living as a divorced single woman is taboo.
Although my life back home was comfortable but since my circumstances changed after divorce, to survive there on my own would have been extremely difficult and society would have made it worse.
Government support
For Sarah, restarting life in Australia wasn’t any cakewalk either.
“The initial shock I got was how would I survive, followed by denial. How somebody could stab you in the back like he did,” Sarah wonders.
Her visa type didn’t provide her any financial support from the government such as Centrelink. She fell back on the precious jewellery she had got from her parents as a wedding gift to make ends meet.
Sarah sold her gold to be able to rent a room, pay her bills and enrol in short courses to become job-ready.
In a few months, she started earning money by working as a part-time chef, selling food online and designing.
“One of the things I really enjoyed and thought I could do was cooking. I made a list of things I could confidently cook. I started posting about my culinary offerings on Facebook and soon had loyal customers. Cooking not only helped me sustain but also served as therapy,” Sarah recalls happily.
Freedom to be yourself
Time progressed and so did Sarah.
She is now an Australian citizen, has a job that values her university education and is financially independent.
She considers Australia a “blessing”.
“Australia is a beautiful place where people help each other. You are not judged by your status. It gave me the perfect opportunity at the most difficult time of my life, and I am thankful to everyone who helped me find my identity and stand on my own feet,” she says.
She expresses her gratitude towards the country she had never planned to but ended up calling home.
“I am sharing my story so that women who may be in a dilemma about staying on in Australia or leaving, should not think twice about making it their home. It will be the best decision you will ever make because Australia takes care of you like a mum,” Sarah signs off.
*Name changed on request.
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