Brisbane-A 38-year-old Sikh truck driver will be deported from Australia after the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) upheld the cancellation of his skilled visa, citing his extensive criminal history, including domestic violence, drug-related offences and dangerous driving.
The man, identified only as TQVH for legal reasons, arrived in Australia in 2015 and was later granted a Skilled Nominated Visa, which allows Australian states and territories to address workforce shortages.
According to tribunal records, the man accumulated a lengthy criminal record after settling in Brisbane. His convictions, dating back to 2019, include domestic violence, drug offences, weapons-related crimes and traffic violations.
One of the most serious incidents occurred in August 2021, when he allegedly held a knife to his wife’s throat during a domestic dispute. Court records state that he threatened her and made comments indicating he would have killed her if they had been in India. He also reportedly threatened self-harm and physically restrained her during the incident.
In 2022, the Southport Magistrates Court convicted him on four domestic violence-related charges arising from two separate incidents.His visa was mandatorily cancelled after he received a 12-month prison sentence last year for driving offences, triggering provisions under Australia’s Migration Act relating to non-citizens who fail the character test.
The Administrative Review Tribunal, in its decision delivered on Monday, rejected his appeal against the visa cancellation. The tribunal found that the seriousness of his offending and the need to protect the Australian community outweighed factors in his favour.With the tribunal affirming the cancellation, the man is expected to be removed from Australia following the completion of the legal process