Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon says Australia needs doctors like Bernhard Moeller, a German-born physician who has been denied permanent residency because his son has Down syndrome.
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Ms Roxon said she would talk to Immigration Minister Chris Evans about the circumstances of Dr Moeller and his family, who moved to Horsham in central west Victoria two years ago to help fill a doctor shortage.
Dr Moeller has a temporary 457 visa that is valid until 2010, but the Immigration Department has rejected his application for permanent residency because his youngest son, Lukas, did not meet the health requirement.
Ms Roxon said the government valued the contribution made by overseas-trained doctors, particularly those who worked in Australia's rural and regional communities.
"I will be talking to the immigration minister, but my understanding is that a process needs to be undertaken first and that there is a valid reason for this doctor and his family to be eligible to stay here in Australia providing those services," Ms Roxon told reporters in Melbourne.
"As a government we understand the importance of having doctors working in our rural and regional communities and we support them in many ways and continue to do this.
"But for this particular case, it's a matter I will raise with the immigration minister, but I understand that those court processes need to be undertaken first."
However, Victorian Premier John Brumby said the Immigration Department had discriminated unfairly against Dr Moeller.
Mr Brumby said the department's decision should be reversed.
"I believe it's an error of judgment, and it discriminates against him and his family unfairly," Mr Brumby told Fairfax Radio Network.
The premier said the decision should be overturned and the state government would support Dr Moeller's application through an appeal process.
"We will be supporting his case to the federal government 100 per cent," Mr Brumby said.
"We don't make the decision in this. It's a federal decision ... we will provide whatever support, whatever submissions, whatever argument is necessary to support Dr Moeller and his family."
Mr Brumby said he had spoken to Dr Moeller, adding that he was "extraordinarily well-regarded" in Horsham and the area needed doctors.
Lukas attended a mainstream primary school and was "just like any other kid".
"He enjoys school, he mixes with the other kids, he plays sport, he reads, he writes, he does all of those things," he said.
"So I think that this is a case which needs reversing and overturning."
Dr Moeller intends to appeal the decision to the Migration Review Tribunal.
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