Leaders of the Australian Ukrainian community have called on the federal government to extend a looming deadline for Ukrainians seeking to come here on humanitarian visas.
The 14 July cut-off comes only days after , where he said Australia will support Ukraine "for as long as it takes," leaving leaders from the Australian Ukrainian community confused.
Following this date, displaced Ukrainians who haven't already received their human Humanitarian Stay (Temporary) (subclass 449) visa will have to reside on tourist visas.
That means they won't have access to Medicare, rental assistance, or have the right to work which, in turn, means they will be reliant on volunteers or extended family for food, accommodation, and medicine.
The temporary humanitarian visas were first offered in late March under the previous Morrison government.
The Department of Home Affairs says more than 8,000 Ukrainian nationals in Ukraine have been granted visas and as of 8 July, more than 3,200 visa holders had arrived in Australia.
Vasyl Boroviak is a Ukrainian Australian who has lived in Sydney for 10 years. His 17-year-old nephew Myroslav has been escaping persecution in Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine since the invasion and was planning to travel to Australia for safety.
Mr Boroviak told SBS News that he and his family had bought a plane ticket for his nephew to travel to Sydney in August but, due to the recent announcement, they had to cancel it.
They've now bought a ticket for Saturday, losing thousands of dollars, and hoping Mr Boroviak will be able to get a humanitarian visa on time.
"A few weeks ago, my brother, his wife and his son, who is my nephew, fled Kherson, where bombs were flying above them," Mr Boroviak told SBS News.
"They were interrogated multiple times, in horrific conditions and were told to go back to the occupied city. They were probably the only people who didn't listen and didn't turn around.
"They went through cornfields and other crops to escape, which was dangerous because they're all filled with mines.
"My brother contacted me and asked to take care of his son. His name is Myroslav.
17-year-old Myroslav Boroviak who wants to study and work in Australia.
"We arranged a have a visa in Australia and they used their last money to buy an airline ticket for him for mid- August.
"We had to cancel the ticket because of the cutoff and I had to give them an additional $2,000 to buy a new ticket to depart on Saturday.
"We aren't the only one doing this. The ticket prices are getting insanely high. I can't imagine what other people are going through. Where would they get the money?"
Co-Chair of the Australian Federation for Ukrainian Organisations, Kateryna Argyrou, told SBS News the deadline will break Ukrainian families apart.
"The initial reaction was I think the community was blindsided, we didn't know that this was coming," Ms Argyrou said.
"There's obviously a full-blown, full-scale war going on in Ukraine. So there's a lot of fear, there's a lot of anxiety, there's a lot of uncertainty.
"And the one silver lining that some people had to look forward to is that if they could escape a war zone and travel to Australia, they could make a new life here in what they see as a safe haven.
Kateryna Aryrou at a rally supporting Ukraine in Sydney on 26 June. Credit: Nicholas Buenk.
President of the Ukrainian Council of NSW, Bohdan Wolody, told SBS News many displaced Ukrainians spent their last money coming to Australia and can't afford the medical checks before the cutoff date.
Arrivals from Ukraine go through a two-step visa process, first being issued a Humanitarian Stay (Temporary) (subclass 449) visa followed by a Temporary (Humanitarian Concern) (subclass 786) visa, which lasts for three years and allows holders to work, study and access Medicare.
"As you go from a 449 Humanitarian visa to 786, there's a requirement for a medical check, which is a fairly basic blood pressure medical GP check that you think would be a simple thing, but the cost is $365," Mr Wolody said.
"Only Bupa is allowed to do these checks, so you have to schedule an arrangement with a specific provider. If you're a family of four, you're talking about coughing up $1,200 or more."
Mr Wolody says that Afghan refugees didn't have to pass this requirement to receive their humanitarian visas.
"It's just one of the rules that Afghan refugees had waived. They didn't have to do it at all. But in our case, Ukrainians have to go through this hurdle."
Be Kind Sydney is raising funds to help displaced Ukrainians pay for the medical checks required for the humanitarian visa. The charity's CEO, Loredana Fyffe, says the "clock is ticking".
“Be Kind Sydney is providing displaced Ukrainians arriving in Sydney with cash assistance - to spend as they see fit – to offer them dignity in a time of crisis. For many within this refuge-seeking community, transitioning from tourist visas to humanitarian aid visas is a primary goal," Ms Fyffe said.
"Doing so will allow them to work and begin supporting themselves and their families.
"This latest announcement means the clock is ticking much faster to make that transition, however the first step is securing and paying for a mandatory visa medical.
"We’re appealing for donations to overcome such financial hurdles faced by displaced Ukrainians as they start a new life in Sydney.”
The fund has raised $50,000 so far.
The Department of Home Affairs said it "continues to progress visa applications from Ukrainian nationals as a priority, particularly for those with a strong, personal connection to Australia".
The department said beyond the 14 July date, those Ukrainians who do not take up the offer of a temporary humanitarian visa "can seek information about the alternative visa options from the Department of Home Affairs".
