Australia is the “only place” Shaksana Kamalathas calls home.
But like dozens of other Logan residents living here on a temporary visa – many of whom were born in the country – Ms Kamalathas’ future remains uncertain.
Aged 18 and in her final year of high school, she has lived in Logan since she was six years old.
She has not been granted permanent residency, so the Kuwait-born, Woodridge-based student fears her life will soon become a lot harder.
Ms Kamalathas said her temporary visa status prevented her from attending university, limited her access to employment, and was a roadblock to achieving her dream of becoming a paramedic.
It also means she and her family must re-apply for a visa every few months.
“We don’t have a future ahead of us,” Ms Kamalathas said.
“Everything, all our dreams, have stopped.
“I’ve lived here my whole life here, and it feels really upsetting that the government doesn’t want to give us a visa.”
Ms Kamalathas said her family came to Australia seeking “safety, stability, and a place to call home”.
“For the past 12 years, we have faced incredible difficulties – challenges that no children or families should endure,” she said.
“Despite these challenges, we have worked really hard to integrate into Australian society, contributing in any way we can and holding onto the hope that one day we truly belong.
“But without citizenship, that hope remains out of reach.”
Ms Kamalathas is one of almost 200 local residents who have been protesting outside federal MP Jim Chalmers office since Monday last week.
Some members of the group are camping at the office carpark through the night, calling on the government to grant permanent visas to Ms Kamalathas and thousands of other refugees and asylum seekers who have been stuck in limbo for more than a decade.
They intend to stage their protest “indefinitely”.
Several of these visa limbo locals, such as Slacks Creek’s Thienushan Chandrasekaram, fled their home country for safety and feared going back.
Mr Chandrasekaram fled Sri Lanka and arrived in Australia with his family of eight in 2013.
Since then, they have been required to renew their visas every three months.
Mr Chandrasekaram said he most recently applied to renew his visa on 19 July – a month before it was due to run out – but is awaiting a response from the government.
“For the last 12 years, I have followed all the rules and regulations, but I still haven’t heard back,” he said.
“It’s so depressing.
“Mum is a cancer patient, and every three months she has to go to the hospital, but she doesn’t have a Medicare card.”
Aged 34, he has worked at the nearby Ikea for the last eight years and has risen the ranks of a cricket league called ‘last man stands’, earning a spot in the Australian team.
But his temporary visa status prevented him from playing at international competitions.
