Brisbane asylum seeker Mojgan Shamsalipoor still gets goosebumps when she thinks about the day she was set free from a detention centre on a bridging visa.
But despite the relief that came with being granted a temporary bridging visa and being reunited with her husband Milad Jafari, the 23-year-old is still living on borrowed time.
Ms Shamsalipoor was taken from Yeronga State High School by armed immigration officials and transferred without warning to Darwin's Wickham Point Detention Centre in August 2015.
She was released on September 21, 2016 on a bridging visa after two years in detention. Her brother Hossein was also released.
The Iranian asylum seeker's visa expired in December 2016 but, as Fairfax Media reported, it was extended for another three months.
That visa is now due to expire on March 21. Ms Shamsalipoor will need to physically present at the Department of Immigration each time she seeks to have her visa renewed.
Ms Shamsalipoor's case is due to be featured on an episode of Australian Story on ABC TV on Monday.
Ms Shamsalipoor said she still got goosebumps about the day Immigration Minister Peter Dutton granted her a bridging visa and she was able to return to live with her husband and his family in Brisbane.
"When they opened the door and they said, you're free to go ... It was like a miracle," Ms Shamsalipoor told the ABC.
Ms Shamsalipoor is in a difficult position in terms of applying for a partner's visa as she can only apply from outside Australia.
But that is not an option as she fears for her life if she returns to Iran.
Ms Shamsalipoor sought asylum in Australia in 2012 after fleeing an arranged marriage to a 60-year-old man and several assaults. She fears the prospect of prison and physical threats if she returns.
Yeronga State High School deputy principal Jessica Walker said when Ms Shamsalipoor first arrived at school she was highly traumatised.
"She'd been through some really horrific experiences in Iran," Ms Walker said.
"As deputy principal, I had a lot to do with Mojgan and I saw her just blossom.
"And one of the most beautiful things that I got to see was I got to see Mojgan fall in love."
Her lawyer Kevin Kadirgamar said the couple had formed a life together in Australia and called it home.
"The strength of their love and commitment for each other in the middle of all this pain and suffering is extraordinary," he said.
In December, Ms Walker said it was a condition of the visa that Ms Shamsalipoor makes plans to return to Iran.
"They're still saying she's expected to leave the country and they're expecting her to also show evidence of that – so they're wanting her to get an Iranian passport and things like that," Ms Walker said.
Ms Shamsalipoor said she and Mr Jafari had decided not to think about her being returned to detention if her visa was not renewed.
"Milad and I both decided to not think about it until the day so we are enjoying every each of our day and living each day," she said.
Mr Jafari said he and Ms Shamsalipoor had a "feeling about each other".
"We cannot find that in any other person," he said.
"We were so happy before all these things happened."
Ms Walker said the community was shocked when Ms Shamsalipoor was taken into immigration detention in 2015.
The community rallied together to support Ms Shamsalipoor, calling on Mr Dutton to intervene in her case, with teachers and peers helping her to study her classes from detention.
Tears flowed in November, as Ms Shamsalipoor stood in front of her peers and finally accepted her Year 12 graduation certificate.
"So when she was released, that was just the most incredibly day for us," Ms Walker said.
"However, there is still the shadow of uncertainty that hangs over Mojgan and Milad.
"She's still not truly free. The unknown is not a nice thing to live with.
"It's not the end of the journey because she's still not free. She's living in our community, but it's on borrowed time."
Ms Shamsalipoor's story, On Borrowed Time, will feature on Australian Story on ABC TV on Monday, March 13, from 8pm.
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