Beloved Italian Southern Roasting Co manager Ruiglent Tuci granted permanent residency after long visa battle

The manager of a beloved Manjimup cafe has successfully had his application for permanent residency approved after years of battling to remain in the community that he feels “blessed” to be a part of. Italian immigrant Ruiglent Tuci, 37, and his Taiwanese wife Karen — who have been in Australia for nine years — got the call on October 28 from their agent to say their application had officially been approved. The Manjimup-Bridgetown Times reported earlier this year the pair were residing in town under a bridging visa, but were denied a regional sponsorship visa in 2019, meaning they had to make an appeal to remain in the country which was delayed due to the pandemic. To help the couple’s appeal, the community rallied together and wrote letters of support to strengthen their case. Mr Tuci said the feeling of relief at knowing he and his wife would get to remain in the town he loved was overwhelming. “Our hopes and dreams have come true,” he said. “Manjimup has been a beautiful surprise for my wife and me, the community are just amazing, you can’t buy community like that, you’re just blessed to find it. “A few days after I found out I wrote emails back to the community that helped me out and wrote letters of support. “People have been amazing, congratulating me, it’s been beautifully overwhelming, I feel loved and these people are amazing, it’s easy to love them back.” Mr Tuci said the past five years had been hard not knowing what the future held and the possibility of having to leave the country in as little as 28 days was his biggest fear. “I couldn’t plan my life in medium-long term as I can do now,” he said. “Life is starting to taste a little bit sweeter.” Mr Tuci said he was now ready to finally settle down in Manjimup and hopefully develop his career, buy a house or a block of land and maybe even start a family along the way. “Finally Manjimup is the place we can call home after many years in Australia,” he said. “I want to thank these beautiful Manjimup people first of all, we love them, this place would not be so amazing without them. “I also want to thank everyone who supported me, my boss, my friends that I found along the way that I really love, my wife who always supports me through my highs and lows, and everybody that has so far enjoyed this journey with me. “The sky is the limit now.”