Murray Bridge mum awaits outcome of last-ditch visa plea

Assistant Immigration Minister Matt Thistlethwayte is aware of the case of Ying-Hsi Chou and her family, Murray Bridge News understands.

Peri Strathearn

09 Apr 2026 — 2 min read

Ben Cox, Ying-Hsi Chou and their boys Ryan, Jacob and Tony are waiting to hear back from federal Assistant Immigration Minister Matt Thistlethwaite. Image: Peri Strathearn.

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Australia’s Assistant Immigration Minister is aware of a last-minute plea from a Murray Bridge mum to allow her to stay with her family, Murray Bridge News understands.

Assistant Minister Matt Thistlethwaite and federal MP Tony Pasin have both sought more information this week from the family of Ying-Hsi Chou, who is facing deportation over a mistake on her visa application a decade ago.

Since her arrival, she has settled in the Murraylands community, married and had three children.

However, unless the minister intervenes, she will be required to leave the country by the time her visa expires this Sunday, April 12.

As a citizen of Taiwan, she would have to wait for up to three years to apply for a new visa.

That would leave her children without a mother, and their father struggling to raise them on a single income.

In the past fortnight, the family has gathered more than 3800 signatures on a petition urging the government to intervene in Ms Chou’s case.

Commenters on this publication’s social media channels have called for mercy, too:

“Please let her stay. She has a husband and beautiful children. Don’t take that away from her … Yes, we all make mistakes in our lives but we should be supportive of the good people and families in our country, especially our own town.” –Jenine Pearn
“All of us have made mistakes we wish we could take back, and this woman has come to Australia, worked, paid tax, contributed to the community in a positive way, created a life and is just trying to provide the best for her family.” –Sally Holland
“The government was quick to give Iranian women from a soccer team a visa but a woman who has contributed to our country by working, paying taxes etc is going to be deported?” –Alex Nicolic

Mr Cox told Murray Bridge News that the media – first this publication and the Manly Observer, then The Advertiser, Nine and SBS – had been a “major help”.

New state MP Robert Roylance told Murray Bridge News he was willing to vouch for the family, too, as he had known them for about two years.

Ms Chou’s deportation “shouldn’t be happening,” he said.

What can the Immigration Minister do?

Under the Migration Act, Immigration and Citizenship Minister Tony Burke and Assistant Minister Thistlethwaite have the power to intervene personally in cases where they believe it is in the public interest for a bureaucratic decision to be reversed.

Interventions occur outside the usual visa application process.

Murray Bridge News understands that such interventions may be subject to an Australian values statement – that is, applicants are required to make reasonable efforts to learn English and to uphold our nation’s values.

Such values include freedom, the rule of law, democracy and a fair go for all.

The success rate for individuals who seek ministerial intervention is typically less than 10 per cent, according to Melbourne law firm Katsaros and Associates.