A 92-year-old war veteran and great-grandfather who has lived in Australia for 10 years is facing deportation back to Britain after being denied a visa and told he would be a financial burden on the health system.

James Bradley, who served with the British Royal Navy in World War II, has now made a last-ditch plea to Immigration Minister Peter Dutton to intervene and allow him to remain in Australia.

"Considering my background, I think I've been treated shabbily," he said. "I've waited in a queue for permanent residency for 10 years, only to be rejected. I'd like to be able to spend whatever time I've got left here in Australia with my family."

Mr Bradley and his 91-year-old wife Peggie are among 80,000 people waiting for a permanent parent visa – a limbo that can last as long as 30 years, in a system that migration experts say is broken.