A family who have been living in Australia for 10 years are facing deportation because their son born with cystic fibrosis is considered a burden on the health system.
Irish couple Christine and Anthony Hyde are appealing to Immigration Minister David Coleman in their bid to be granted permanent residency.
Their application to settle in Australia was rejected by the Home Affairs Department because of their three-year-old son Darragh's condition.
The Hydes have launched an online petition calling for the department to reconsider their judgement and allow them to stay in the regional Victorian town of Seymour.
The couple say Darragh will be able to complete studies all the way through to university and is a "bright boy with a positive future ahead of him".
"We have positive letters from his doctors and specialists stating that he should live a full life and that his disease progression will be much slower than average," Christine said.
"Darragh has the support of his family, our large support network in Seymour and the wider Australian community."
Christine has completed an education degree since arriving in Australia in 2009 and now works as an acting assistant principal, while Anthony works as a bus driver.
"We have a strong support network here with our friends and family and we are well settled in regional Victoria," she said.
The Home Affairs Department says it doesn't comment on individual cases, but if one member of a family doesn't satisfy visa requirements, then all members will be turned down.
"The health requirement is not condition-specific and the assessment is undertaken individually for each applicant based on their condition and level of severity," a department spokesman told AAP.
"It is an objective assessment to determine whether the care of the individual during their stay in Australia would likely result in significant costs to the Australian community or prejudice the access of Australian citizens and permanent residents to services in short supply."
The Hydes change.org petition has passed more than 7000 signatures.
