A Nepalese-born para taekwondo athlete who came to Australia on holiday and never left has been granted fast-tracked citizenship by the federal government — and is now setting her sights on a Paralympic medal at Los Angeles 2028. Shrijana Ghising, 26, officially became an Australian citizen at a ceremony in Melbourne's inner-west in June, just weeks before competing at her first international tournament under the green and gold.
From holiday visitor to Australian citizen
Ghising first arrived in Australia in 2023 as a tourist, but quickly found a country she wanted to call home. After spending two years living in Burnie, Tasmania, she relocated to Melbourne to pursue her sporting ambitions more seriously.
"I have experienced a lot of discrimination in my life, but when I came to Australia everyone was very kind, and they did not treat me differently because of my disability," she said. "Everyone in Australia is treated with the same respect. I love Australia, its culture and its people … I came for a holiday, but it became my home."
Her citizenship application was expedited under special provisions of the Citizenship Act, with authorisation from Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, enabling her to compete for Australia at upcoming international tournaments.
Silver medal on debut for Australia
The timing proved decisive. Shortly after her citizenship ceremony, Ghising travelled to South Korea to compete at the Gangwon-Chuncheon 2026 World Para Taekwondo Open Challenge — and returned with a silver medal in her first appearance representing Australia on the world stage.
Ghising, who first took up para taekwondo at the age of 18 simply for fun, is now ranked among the world's top athletes in the sport. Her mother and life partner are credited with motivating her to pursue her taekwondo journey at the highest level.
"I'm so excited that now I am a citizen I can represent Australia in all the tournaments, but the big goal is LA28 … I want to be a medallist representing Australia," she said.
How Australia's elite athlete citizenship pathway works
Australia maintains a dedicated citizenship pathway for elite athletes and coaches seeking to represent the country internationally. Legislation was updated last year to ensure that permanent residents whose sporting commitments require them to train or compete overseas are not penalised in their pathway to citizenship — a change welcomed by both the Australian Olympic Committee and Paralympics Australia.
A Department of Home Affairs spokesperson said the federal government works closely with sporting bodies to identify appropriate citizenship pathways for prospective Australian representatives.
"Shrijana's journey from being a visitor who fell in love with this country to now preparing to represent the green and gold on the world stage highlights the important contributions new citizens can make to Australia and our international success," the spokesperson said.
Paralympics Australia chief executive Cameron Murray also welcomed Ghising to the Australian Paralympic movement. "Para sport offers so much to Australians with disability, and it is pleasing that Shrijana is already experiencing its value, which can extend far beyond sport," he said.
In the 2024–25 financial year, a total of 165,193 people became Australian citizens, drawn from more than 190 nationalities.
Debate over citizenship fairness remains
While the elite athlete pathway has been broadly welcomed by sporting bodies, refugee and multicultural advocacy groups have long argued that the rules should be extended to benefit all citizenship applicants equally. When a similar proposal was raised in 2009, the Federation of Ethnic Communities' Councils of Australia supported the change in principle but called for uniform treatment under citizenship law for everyone.
Those broader questions around Australian visa and citizenship policy continue to attract debate, even as Ghising's story offers a vivid example of what the existing fast-track provisions can achieve. For now, her focus is singular: a podium finish in Los Angeles in three years' time.
