Stacey and Yoshi - update

Stacey and Yoshi's story was previously featured on the blog :
http://britcits.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/stacey-and-yoshi-stacey-tells-her-story.html

This couple's story has moved on. Fortunately they have an opportunity to live together in Yoshi's home country, Japan - a country which respects its citizens' human rights to marry whom they wish. But the choice between leaving your home or your partner is one that nobody should ever be forced to make.

Nobody should be pressured into effective exile for marrying someone of another race, culture, religion, or nationality.

Stacey has written movingly on their situation, which you can read here :
http://www.scribd.com/doc/164673765/Stacey-and-Yoshi

Ultimately, I'm being forced to choose between my home, my country and the culture I was brought up in - and the love of my life.

I’ve have only very recently decided to move to Japan with my partner and marry him in Japan. Fortunately, the Japanese system is much less discriminatory than the British one and provided that Yoshihiro and I can prove we are in a legitimate relationship, I can marry my fiancé and live with him in his home country.

I am daunted at the prospect of leaving my family and all my friends in the UK and also the idea of trying to assimilate into one of the most unique countries in the world, but I love my partner and don’t want to be separated from him.

I don’t think it’s fair that the British system essentially discriminates against Japanese partners of British citizens, yet the Japanese system does not do the same to British partners of Japanese citizens.  I think it goes against our human rights. It causes devastation and misery to hundreds of people who simply want to live their lives together. Theresa May and David Cameron, members of the current Conservative government have stated that they strongly believe in families and the institution of marriage. Yet the current restrictions set in place against partners of non European citizens do not reflect those statements. 

Stacey writes :


Previously :
http://britcits.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/stacey-and-yoshi-stacey-tells-her-story.html

'You can congratulate the Home Office for me because I've made a very difficult decision to move to Japan next year once I've graduated. I'm not running away, but because my partner and I are so young I thought I might give Japan a go for a few years. I'll be working as a language teacher, as will my partner, and all the money we earn will be going to the Japanese government, not the British one. So congratulations the British government/UKBA! You got your way and young, qualified individuals who would have contributed to your struggling economy are going elsewhere! Loves and kisses you Tory muppets!'

 

Stacey is one step closer to resolving her situation, by taking her and her husband's talent out of the UK.

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New campaign in Northamptonshire for divided families.

https://twitter.com/Paulcrofts :
Know Northants families divided by UK immigration controls? Please contact. Campaign/support group to be launched. #NorthantsHour #BritCits
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Map of human migrations.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Map-of-human-migrations.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dymaxion_map - a different perspective on the world.

All the fun of the unfair.

Another story. Excerpts below :

http://blessayfrombritannia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/all-fun-of-unfair.html

'Some readers may be a little confused as to why Vince and I have moved back to the UK and Stacey remains in the US.

'Basically in July 2012, new rules were brought in to curtail British people bringing their partners and family members into the country if they are non-EU citizens.  Not just folks from those funny sounding countries either, but Americans, Australians, South Africans - you know, our friends.

'The upshot of which is that in order to bring your partner, you have to find a job earning a minimum amount of money (£18,600), to sponsor them for two years and an additional £2,400 for each non-EU child.  Vince is dual so doesn't count in that equation but Stacey does which is why my freelance Social Media/Consulting business is on ice and I'm working for Bloggs and Son to meet this figure so Stacey can come over.   It is ostensibly to stop her signing on the dole when she arrives, which of course is foremost in any immigrants mind but also disallows third party sponsorship, so even if I was the son of Richard Branson or Alan Sugar, this would not be taken into consideration.

'The Visa processing process takes two to three months itself and costs £850 to apply. Stacey has to apply from the United States, cannot do it from the UK, and has to hand over her passport in the process to make sure there are no sneaky trips to, you know, see her son and husband in the meantime.  There is also no right of appeal if the request is turned down so you'd better make damn sure you've got all your ducks in a row...

'The reason the rule was brought in is a classic example of realpolitik.  The government wants to reduce immigration so it can go to the polls in 2015 and say - "Look, we reduced immigration!".  There are several methods to do this but the one they have decided on impacts non-EU citizens immigration rules, which they can control as opposed to EU citizens free movement which they can't.  So, by erecting barriers to non-EU citizens, the number of successful applications falls, immigration goes down and it's a policy triumph. Regardless of how many families and homes are split up in the process.  Japanese and Chinese research students go to more welcoming universities in the US, taking their goodwill, money and brains with them, willing immigrants from countries that are our past and present allies linger on the sidelines whereas citizens from countries with a dubious grip on human rights, rule of law etc, yes Russia & Dubai, we're looking at you, can have the red carpet rolled out if they have £62,500 in the bank.  I should have mentioned that the Government has left a loophole for 'high value' migrants that have that amount of spare income.

'A report by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Migration has been published today which reacts as any fair-minded individual would when informed of the wrong-header, cruel policy put in place as a sledgehammer to crack the walnut sized problem of non-EU/British family immigration.  The report addresses cases like us and calls for a review of the procedure - good luck with that.

'As a last insult, the rule does not apply to non-British EU citizens and their non-EU partners so Jose from Ireland and his American wife or Bert from Spain with his Brazilian partner can bring them in as soon as they get to a wifi access point to submit the paperwork.

'I never thought it would be easier for me to emigrate into the US than Stacey to come here but there we are. I hope this sheds some light on the frustrations and outright outrageous unfairness we face in trying to reunite our family in the UK. Expat message boards are full of heart breaking stories of families breaking up and British citizens being forced into exile just to keep their families together.

'But I'm sure it's worth it to keep those darn New Zealanders out...'

Stacey and Yoshi

Stacey tells her story :

'I AM A 24 YEAR OLD STUDENT, reading Japanese and public relations at university. I met my partner, Yoshi, two and half years ago, and we've been in a relationship for two years now. He is Japanese and I am British. I had no idea that falling in love with someone outside of the European Union would prove to be such an ordeal.

When we met, my boyfriend was studying journalism at the same university as me. Although he very much enjoyed his time in England, the course proved to be unsuitable and so he decided that he would return to his home country and train to be a language teacher instead.

As part of my course, I spent a year in Japan on an exchange program. We lived together for months at a time, both in England and in Japan, and are very much in love. When we are living apart from each other, we Skype, every single day, despite the 9 hour time difference between our two countries. We have shared, and continue to share, amazing experiences and have decided that we want to spend the rest of our lives together.

We both agreed that we would prefer to settle in England together. Although I had an amazing time in Japan I couldn't see myself settling there and Yoshi was more than happy to move to the UK with me. Yoshi started a course at a language school in 2012 and is now fully qualified to teach Japanese. I will be graduating next year.

In order for us to live together in the UK Yoshi decided to apply for a working holiday visa. This would enable us to spend two years together without having to spend a ridiculous amount of money flying back and forth to each other's country every few months, for a short visit. After those two years we plan to marry. Unfortunately, the working holiday visa is like a lottery and only 1000 people will be lucky enough to get one. Yoshi was unlucky this time.

We are so very much in love that we would marry today if it meant we could be together. But due to the new non-European spouse visa restrictions that were implemented not too long ago, it won't make any difference. And I cannot tell you just how devastated Yoshi and I are.

£18,600 is how much I need to be earning in order to sponsor my partner. Even if I were to graduate from university and get a well paid graduate job, I live in the North of England. It could be years and years before I'm earning enough money to fulfill that requirement. My partner is qualified to teach and wants to work; he will never be entitled to benefits or welfare anyway because he isn't European (editor's note: All entering on a spouse or fiance visa have the words NO RECOURSE TO PUBLIC FUNDS stamped into their passport, and cannot claim benefits), so why not take into consideration his income? Why actively discriminate against low income earners of non European spouses? Why is it moral to tear people apart like this based on income?


Long distance relationships are difficult, regardless of visa restrictions. You have to be committed, patient and prepared to endure long periods of time apart from the one person in your life whom you feel you can share everything with. Everyone has their own issues to deal with in life and all I ask for is that I can come home to the one person in this world who makes me feel happy, loved and secure.

When I heard that Yoshi didn't get the working holiday visa, I think I was more shocked than I expected to be and actually fell into depression. People have no idea how difficult it is being in love with someone and being unable to see them and hold them simply because you aren't earning enough money. I have never felt so low in my life. I recently heard about a British woman who committed suicide because she couldn't be with her Egyptian partner and I cried so much because I honestly know what she was going through. The situation is horrendous. (Link : http://britcits.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/rip-i-was-afraid-something-like-this.html ).

Ultimately, I'm being forced to choose between my home, my country and the culture I was brought up in - and the love of my life. I will choose the love of my life. we are still young and considering our options but it upsets me greatly that I'm being forced to make this choice. I am British. I am not a foreigner asking to live in Britain with a foreign partner. I am a British individual who wishes to live in Britain with the love of my life.'

More stories like this: http://britcits.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/stories