Gravy Spot owner Sadiq Taimori's tears of joy after his family were granted visas to start a new life in Australia after the horror of the Taliban uprising in Afghanistan

After 10 years separated from his family, who were in hiding and fearing for their life in Afghanistan following the brutal Taliban uprising last year, he is now counting down the days until he can see them again after his wife and three teenage children were this week granted 449 visas - a visa for people forced to flee their home country because of grave fear to their safety.

Now they are just waiting for the required travel permission to be granted through the Department of Home Affairs before they book their flights to reunite in Australia.

Mr Taimori had been trying to get wife Razia and children Mahdi, now 19, Hadia, 17, and Eleyas, 14, to Australia since he settled here after a tortuous journey from Afghanistan where his work with the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission made him a Taliban target.

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But the stakes became more dire last year when they were forced to flee their home in Bamyan and shelter in a cousin's house in Kabul as the Taliban surged back in to power and the relative freedoms of the life they knew was shattered.

The change in the family's fortunes came after Mr Taimori became an Australian citizen at a ceremony in Ballarat on Australia Day in January.

As a citizen he could apply to bring his family here and last Tuesday he received word their '449 emergency visas' had been approved.

"The day that I got the news I couldn't stop my crying and I couldn't believe that it's happening," he said.

"I don't know what my reaction will be honestly (when I first see them), Maybe crying and hugging and maybe I won't let them go."

A month ago the family managed to secure passports for the youngest two children, a process which had taken many months, and they fled Afghanistan to Iran where they are staying with Razia's sister.

But for the previous eight months since the Taliban took power they had been unable to leave the house, go to school and food shortages were rife - all of which had taken a massive toll on their physical and mental health.

There were also fears his children would be kidnapped, particularly his daughter as the Taliban take young women to forcibly marry to their fighters. Adding to the fears was the misconception that he is wealthy because he is in Australia.

"It was a very tough time. For eight months they were stuck in the house - they couldn't go out anywhere, the kids didn't go to school or anything, only my wife had to go shopping.

"The children kept asking me when do we get our visa to come over ... every day they used to complain you are not doing anything you are happy, safe over there (in Ballarat) and we are here suffering but thank god finally, finally they will come.

"I didn't tell them at first that the visa had been granted because they would keep asking why have I not booked the flight but my wife recently told them and now we just have to wait for travel permission ... as soon as we get that I will book them flights."

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The Courier first met Mr Taimori, who runs Ballarat's popular The Gravy Spot with fellow Afghan refugees Aziz Banyami and Nadir Heidari, at the height of the Taliban uprising.

Mr Heidari's wife Zahra and son Navid, 1, had also been in hiding during the Taliban uprising but were granted a visa to come to Australia last year.

While Mr Taimori is looking forward to a life that once again sees him surrounded by his wife and children, he is conscious many other families remain separated and hopes the new Albanese Labor government will prioritise family reunions and help grant permanence and safety to refugees.

"Imagine you have kids, a wife, parents you haven't seen in 10 years or more who are in a different, dangerous country. It is hard. I hope this new government will be a big change and be positive for those families."

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