Immigration Minister Alex Hawke intervened in the saga surrounding Frederico Fioravanzoafter authorities gave him 21 days to leave Australia due to a visa snafu.Popular restaurateur Shane Delia raised Mr Fioravanzo’s dilemma with 3AW broadcaster Neil Mitchell on Thursday.Mr Delia said Frederico missed a deadline to finalise his visa by a few days, and was set to be sent home to Italy.“I’m a passionate Australian,” Mr Delia told 3AW broadcaster Neil Mitchell. “I believe in the leadership of our government and I try to stick by them. This country was built on the back of hard working migrants who come here and contribute.”He said Frederico has lived in Australia for five years and paid tax.“He was waiting for our government to process his visa. To get a letter yesterday that said, ‘You know what mate? Bugger off and go home, we don’t need you’ is absolutely appalling.”Mr Delia, director of the Delia Group, said his flagship restaurant Maha would not have been able to operate seven days a week without his star chef.“We can’t open the doors without Frederico. This is going to leave us in a really huge hole. We were just starting to gear up, to get ready for the busier months that are hopefully ahead, and Frederico is crucial to that.“We won’t be able to operate seven days,” he added. “At the moment, we are so stretched. We can’t man a seven-day roster.”Mr Delia said Mr Fioravanza is “world class … one of the best chefs I’ve ever encountered.” “This guy is as pure as snow,” Mr Delia added. “I haven’t seen him curse or smoke a cigarette. He gets up in the morning, goes to the gym, then wants to come to work to contribute.”Mr Delia said Mr Fioravanza has not been able to work since applying for a visa late last year.“He’s been living at home, off his savings, we’ve been sending him food to keep him going … but to get a kick in the guts like this is unbelievable.”“I had him in my office yesterday in tears. A grown man in tears. But he’s part of our family. What are we supposed to do?”However, after hearing of Mr Fioravanza’s plight, Immigration Minister Alex Hawke said the chef’s work visa would be “sorted”.Mr Hawke told Mitchell: “Sometimes people get bad advice, or sometimes they don’t get their paperwork in on time. While we go through the pandemic, we’ll get them a good visa and make sure they can stay, keep working, and help us out.”nui.tekoha@news.com.au
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