Love In Limbo
Our #LoveInLimbo campaign, in collaboration with IMIX, highlights the personal stories of those affected by this increase and navigating UK’s complex immigration system.
Through a series of heartfelt videos, families and couples impacted by the spouse visa restrictions share their love stories and struggles in our #LoveInLimbo campaign. These are their stories:
Alex and Martyn
Ayesha and Jack
Paula and Adriano
What’s the right protocol for going on a first date with someone on their birthday when you have never met them before?
Something that could have gone wrong, went incredibly well for these two, clicking straight away and starting a relationship. But Alex had to go back to Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the time they spent apart was unbearable, with the extra challenge of the government thinking their relationship was not genuine. Light shined when, after several months, they were able to meet the financial requirements and prove how strong their love really is.
Today, they are married, living together and recently adopted Lucy, a 12-year-old cat.
Two decades ago, Ayesha and Jack fell for each other when he was working as a teacher in her home country.
But the financial requirements for the Spouse Visa meant they had to be separated for some time. What’s more, being able to meet the requirements added stress and fear during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Luckily, the hard times are behind them and the family is happily reunited now.
What could be more romantic than meeting the person of your dreams on a beach in Portugal?
Paula and Adriano met thanks to their shared love of music and decided to have a life together. But they cannot even live in the same country right now: she started her own business less than 12 months ago, so she is unable to present her income for the last financial year; Adriano would meet the financial requirement, but because he works outside the UK, his income is not taken into consideration by the government.
They are still looking for solutions, asking for help, so they can be together as soon as possible.
Stuart and Rahfee
Rina and Ben
Sarah and Matteo
Have you ever felt that fate takes you to the right places?
After chatting online for a while, it was love at first sight when Stuart and Rahfee met for the first time in Thailand. Wondering when they would meet again, work and family circumstances happened to bring them together in the United States of America. But when they decided to get married, Thailand was not a possibility, as same-sex marriage is not recognised there. Whilst in the process for the UK Spouse Visa, they found out each caseworker was following the rules slightly differently, which led to their application being rejected.
They then applied again with the particular paperwork, and have been happily married for five years now, enjoying their family life together.
Why should a child be punished for having parents with different nationalities?
Just through months of heartfelt online conversations, she knew he was the one. Meeting face-to-face in Indonesia made Rina and Ben be even more certain about their love for each other. But when they decided to get married, the amount of very specific requirements for the Spouse Visa was a nightmare, and the COVID-19 pandemic just brought more confusion into the mix.
Now, being a bigger and happier family thanks to their daughter, the new financial requirements for extending the Spouse Visa feel like a burden and the child is at risk of being separated from one of her parents.
A family should not get divided across two countries, especially when they have the financial means to be together.
Sarah’s plan of working in Italy for just one year changed when a friend introduced her to Matteo. The exploration of each other’s culture and language was a beautiful game that led to a marriage and three children. But, even if life in Italy sounds like a dream, Sarah has been missing the rest of her family at home for a while now, and the couple and sons have decided to re-locate to Scotland.
However, even if Matteo’s earnings are enough, the UK government does not take into consideration salaries from abroad to meet the new financial requirements. If the government keeps these rules and the family cannot find a solution, they will have to separate and work from different countries for months or even years.
What can you do to help?
The best way to help these families, and many more, is to amplify their voices. You can join this campaign by sharing these videos on social media, telling your own Love in Limbo story and/or letting the government know your stand on this matter. For this, you can:
- Sign this Parliament Petition, so there can be a proper debate in Parliament to scrutinise the impact of the rules.
- Ask your MP to sign up to the Pledge for Families, showing they are supporting policies that help families to reunite and reduce the financial burden linked to the visa requirements.
- You can also donate to organisations that defend the human right to a family life.
Let’s keep families together.
