Pandemic may tear my husband and I apart
Mary Williams*: I have to re-apply for my spousal visa but my husband and I no longer earn over the threshold so it might be denied.
Like many, I’m out of work because of the coronavirus pandemic. My partner, who is self-employed, has seen his work dry up. On top of the financial worry that has sadly become common for so many of us, we also have to deal with the fear that we will be torn apart. Why? I’m from outside Europe, so if me and my partner can’t keep our payslips over a certain threshold during the pandemic, we could be torn apart by the Home Office.
This isn’t the first time we’ve been at the sharp end of Home Office policy, nor the first time that my partner has seemingly been punished for falling in love with a foreigner. In fact, the stress and anxiety we’ve endured over the years of trying to live together in the UK is hard for most Brits to wrap their heads around. We’re married – so most people assume it would be easy for us to be together in my partner’s country of birth. In fact, we’ve had to fight tooth and nail to be together from day one, and we’re still having to now.
When we first met, I was an international student. We fell in love, and were married about a year later. While we knew my partner didn’t meet the minimum requirements, we were encouraged by our solicitor to apply for a marriage visa.
