A Tongan woman living in Tasmania, Lopa Naufahu, is fundraising to pay for her husband’s $6,865 Australian visa application fee.

Her husband, Neil Naufahu, who lives and works in Tonga as an electrician, is restricted from entering Australia unless he pays a non-refundable visa application costing $6,865. Lopa, a permanent resident, lives in Hobart with their Australian-born five year-old son Josiah.

The Naufahu family is fundraising via the website Go Fund Me.

Lopa relies on welfare to support her son who suffers from asthma. She told the Sunday Tasmanian, “I don’t know how I’ve been doing it”.

“I guess it’s just being strong for my son because I know it’s affected him – It’s just trying to cope every day and just saying we can make it.”

She added that Josiah was missing his father, “Josiah has been having anxiety attacks, asking for his dad all the time – I try my best to explain to him that his dad loves him so much and wants to be here with us”.

Lopa, who has been living in Tasmania since 2004, married her husband Neil in Tonga in 2009. The couple moved to Tasmania a year later where Lopa gave birth to Josiah. The Australian Immigration Department denied Neil further stay because they were concerned he would overstay.

Despite the Immigration’s tough stance, the Naufahu family have been receiving sympathy and support. A local migration agent, Mr Cambridge told news media, “The Department of Immigration and Border Protection at least could show a more compassionate approach.”