Refugee Neil Para, walking 1000km to fight for permanent visas, to arrive in Wagga

"It's challenging and hard but it's nothing compared with the challenges these refugees have been living through without a permanent visa for so long," he said.

"Every day they face consequences of living without this security - we need permanent visas and freedom now."

Mr Para left Ballarat on August 1 in pursuit of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's office in Marrickville, Sydney.

After arriving in Wodonga on Tuesday, his trek north has him due to arrive in Wagga on Sunday.

With him is a petition, which has already garnered over 16,000 signatures, demanding permanent residency visas for about 10,000 refugees and asylum seekers like Neil who cannot legally earn an income.

"We are tired of living in limbo," Mr Para said.

"Many people including my family don't have workers rights, Medicare or anything, and all this can come with a permanent residency visa.

"We are not here to suck money from the charities or to take advantage of welfare organisations, we are here to contribute."

In February 2023, the government announced 19,000 people who hold temporary protection visas or safe haven enterprise visas can apply for permanent residency.

However thousands of refugees, including Mr Para, missed out.

"People are thinking after the announcement the problems refugees face are now solved," Mr Para said.

"So we are letting people know the problem is not solved; they have divided the people so that one half is getting visas but the other half is still forgotten."

For the past 11 years, Mr Para has lived in Australia without a permanent visa, steady job or continuous Medicare with his wife Sugaa and their three young daughters Nivash, Kartie and Australian-born Nive.

Mr Para, a former hairdresser in Sri Lanka, aspires to become a police officer while his wife Sugaa hopes to work in aged care.

But due to immigration restrictions, the family survives through the generosity of the Ballarat community, groups such as Rural Australians for Refugees, friends and allies.

"When I walked past Wodonga TAFE, I noticed so many kids that have dreams to achieve their life goals," Mr Para said.

"But a lot of refugees and young people who came to Australia are also dreaming of doing a TAFE course or go to university, but we are all stuck and can't do anything.

"By not letting us work and pursue our dreams, they are punishing families, they are punishing our kids."

In 2008, Mr Para and his family fled civil war and persecution in Sri Lanka, settling in Malaysia for four years having been given refugee status by the United Nations.

"We were scared every day, wondering if we'd be alive tomorrow, wondering if our friends would be alive tomorrow, because many people get killed there everyday," Mr Para said.

He finally arrived in Australia in 2012 by boat via Christmas Island with his pregnant wife and two kids.

"Asylum seekers like me from militarised parts of the world seek safety in Australia," he said.

"Instead, we experienced 14 months of detention in immigration detention centres that almost broke our spirit.

"But we are resilient, and we carry the hope that we'll call Australia home one day".

Over a decade later, his longing to become an Australian citizen remains unfulfilled.

"We have spent time in detention, the harshest time of our lives, but there is still no clarity about our status," he said.

"We yearn to contribute to the society we now call home."

When Mr Para finally arrives at Mr Albanese's office in September, he will present the following requests:

"I'm calling on the government to end the uncertainty for all refugees seeking a safe home," Mr Para said.

"Please grant us permanent visas, health and the freedom to work."

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