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Sowriya Vishnuvarman is a Tamil asylum seeker.
She's part of a silent protest outside the Home Affairs Minister's office, which has now gone past its 70th day.
"I got a $10,000 scholarship for my Bachelor degree, and I was doing my intensive program at that time, just three weeks in when my visa needed to be renewed, the Immigration called me and said that I'm not allowed to continue my studies, and I had to withdraw from my course."
Sowriya's dream of becoming a psychologist is now on hold until the courts review her claim.
She's among 8,500 asylum seekers still awaiting a final visa decision, their refugee claims rejected under the Coalition's so-called Fast Track scheme.
Greens M-P David Shoebridge has met with about a dozen protesters, including Sowriya.
"We want Sowriya to be able to be an amazing psychologist, to have the connections and the ability to use her skills and talents in this country. Twelve years study here, the waste of human potential that is Fast Track, I find just absolutely criminal. Sowriya, millions of Australians want to fix this too. We need the government, though, to end the cruelty to the thousands and thousands of people rejected in Fast Track and give them that pathway, we'll get it done soon."
The Fast Track program was declared unfair by Labor, and they vowed to overhaul the system as part of an election pledge.
One step in that direction: the old Administrative Appeals Tribunal and Immigration Assessment Authority system that dealt with Fast Track reviews has been replaced by a new body: The Administrative Review Tribunal.
Attorney General Mark Dreyfus says the government has been working for two years to make the change.
"On the 16th of December 2022, I announced that the Albanese government would abolish the Administrative Appeals Tribunal and replace it with a new administrative review body that better serves the interests of the Australian community. Today, we gather to inaugurate that new body, the Administrative Review Tribunal and deliver on our promise to restore trust and confidence in the review of government decisions. We also mark the most significant institutional reform to Australia's system of administrative review in almost half a century."
The Attorney General says the new administrative review system will be better for Australia.
"Like its predecessor, it will provide an independent mechanism of review, but the way it does so will be more efficient and accessible than ever before. Today, Australians are getting the Tribunal they deserve – one that is user-focused, efficient, accessible, independent and fair."
Advocates like Jana Favero have welcomed the new system, but say it'll do little for people like Sowriya.
"It doesn't make sense that the Albanese government have acknowledged the failures of Fast Track and they have abolished that Fast track system, yet they have not brought in swift and fair decision making and processes that redresses those who have been failed by that flawed system."
Ms Favero says immigration decisions need to be made more quickly.
"The government's approach so far to recognising those who have been failed by fast track has been it's been complex, it's been case by case, and it's been piecemeal, and what is needed is an approach that is swift and fair that addresses everyone that has been failed by Fast Track and provide a pathway to permanency."
The Home Affairs Minister didn't respond to specific questions but says Labor has opened permanent visa pathways for those found to be owed protection.
For those like Sowriya who are still waiting on their refugee status to be decided, the government has previously said backlogs will take time to fix.
"I just hope that the government pushes forward and just provide us a pathway towards permanent protection as soon as possible would be really great, because 14 or 13 years is way too long for refugees to be living in uncertainty."
