Clint is a British citizen, born in Huntington, Cambridgeshire. His family have lived in the same house in St Ives Cambridgeshire for over 50 years. They are pretty well rooted to the region.
Clint's mother came to England from the Philippines in 1984 and his dad is British by birth and origin.
In 2007 Clint moved to the Philippines where he met and subsequently married Mary Laine in November 2010. The couple was blessed with a beautiful daughter, Macy, in March 2013. Macy is a British citizen and thus can be with her dad in the UK any time. Not so however for Mary Laine.
Clint does not meet the financial requirements, the elusive £18,600 per year nor the £62,500 savings threshold. Thus, his wife is not allowed to come to UK to live with him, and Macy is not allowed to have her mother with her in the UK....thus they are unable, as Clint puts it, to live 'as a normal family'.
Clint has already wasted thousands of pounds on an immigration lawyer on the basis of his wife being the "primary carer of a EEA child". Twice. And it failed, twice. Clint now wonders what else he can do to unite his family.
It has already been six years since the family has lived apart; Clint tries and goes back to the Philippines twice a year, but it is expensive and work limits the ability to go overseas for long periods. He also needs to work here in order to send money to the Philippines for his wife and child.
So far, Clint has not been able to get a job which pays £18,600. It does bear considering that a person who earns less than £18,600 but is able to manage two homes - UK and overseas, will surely be able to look after his family when all in the one place! But UK immigration rules are not a place for common sense, nor compassion.
Clint is now considering leaving the UK permanently, to make a life in the Philippines, just so the three of them are not apart for any longer. There is huge uncertainty over the kind of work Clint could undertake over there - perhaps work on rice lands. But Clint is saddened that his daughter would then miss out on the education which she has a right to. But Clint cannot separate the child from her mother.
Clint feels let down by his own country. Sadly, he isn't alone.
Praying for you all, never give up hope but you're right to set a deadline to this madness.
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I are in Ireland feeling betrayed by UK. We should be able to live with our family but instead we have to be apart from them all because of these rules. It's unfair that We had to choose between staying together or being close to family.
ReplyDeleteI know how you feel,I am in the same situation.Good luck to you and your family.
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