I‘m a fashion and graphic designer in Melbourne. After 10 years working for well-known high-end companies in Paris such as Givenchy or Lanvin, I decided to visit Australia in 2009 in search of inspiration when I met my Australian partner.
We got engaged and I decided to settle in Australia with him.
My fiancé has a daughter with special needs from a previous relationship, so settling in Europe is not possible for us. The three of us spend all the school holidays together. My partner and I are the ones taking her on holidays and helping her discover new horizons.
I would spend half of the year in Australia with my partner and stepdaughter and the other half in France with my parents.
Despite me and my partner’s desire to have children, now at age 41, I feel that time is ticking. If I have a child, I would need my parents here in Australia to juggle the demands of family and work.
If my parent’s visa is taking too long, I have been thinking to resettle back in France definitively, breaking my 10 years engagement with my partner. Difficult decision to have to choose between 2 loved ones. That has obviously created great stress and anxiety for all my family and me.