Chief Minister Andrew Barr has thrown his support behind an Ona Coffee barista banned from re-entering Australia after representing the country in an international coffee competition.
Kyoungha Chu, who goes by Charlie, was denied an exemption to return to Australia after visiting Italy for the World Coffee Championships in October.
Mr Chu won the World Cup Tasters Championship for Australia before having to return to Korea due to the Department of Home Affairs rejecting his application to travel.
Mr Barr provided a letter to Ona Coffee director Sasa Sestic to assist the Canberra company's plight to bring home their Melbourne-based barista.
"Having an Australian competitor at the world championships is an important demonstration of Australia's strength in this field," Mr Barr wrote.
"Mr Chu's attendance builds on your own previous international success, which has directly contributed to Canberra's growing reputation for high-quality artisan coffee and food.
"Given the national and international prestige, and the direct economic benefits arriving from competing at this event, I am happy for you to share this letter of support with authorities assessing Mr Chu's request to travel.
"I consider this travel to be in the ACT's and Australia's interests."
Mr Chu had been living in Australia for more than five years on a student visa while he studied business in Melbourne, before a planned move to Canberra.
His application to visit Milan to compete was rejected by Home Affairs four times prior to travelling, despite providing the letter from the Chief Minister and supporting documentation from the hosts of the event and the Korean consulate.
Mr Chu decided to compete in Milan despite the uncertainty of returning to Australia as the event is seen as a gateway to a successful career in the coffee industry, he said.
"It took almost three years to get the opportunity of standing on the world stage for me, it's the greatest opportunity for those who work in [the] coffee industry worldwide," he said.
Mr Chu said the World Coffee Championships were like the Olympics or the WorldCup for people in the industry.
"I wish that people who read this could feel and understand the situation and this big decision," he said.
Ona Coffee's previous success at the competitions has helped establish the coffee roasting company and its baristas as some of the best in the business. Ona director, Mr Sestic won the World Barista Championships in 2015.
Mr Sestic said he had been grateful for the support from Chief Minister Andrew Barr, despite it ultimately being unsuccessful.
He said the only option now was to wait for a relaxation of border restrictions to allow Mr Chu to return.
"Our goal is, obviously when things are back to normal, is to have Charlie come back to Australia and actually to move to Canberra," Mr Sestic said.
The ACT will welcome back international students who are fully vaccinated with a Therapeutic Goods Association recognised COVID-19 vaccine for the start of the 2022 academic year. Quarantine will not be required.
