10 Years of Building a Life in the UK — Help Me Stay Legally

Hello, my name is Kizzy Petit, and I am a single mother who has been living lawfully in the UK for over 10 years. I came here in 2014, built a life from scratch, and have worked hard to contribute to society while raising my daughter, who is a British citizen.

Recently, my application for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) — which I applied for after completing 10 years of lawful residence — was wrongly refused by the Home Office due to an error in how they interpreted my visa history. I immediately submitted a reconsideration request. Unfortunately, there is no appeal process for this route, and the Home Office has no legal time limit to respond.

My visa is due to expire very soon, on the 23rd of May. If I don’t apply for an extension before the expiry date, I could lose:

- My right to live and work in the UK

- My daughter’s stability and access to education

- Our access to essential services like the NHS

To protect our legal status while waiting for the ILR reconsideration outcome, I have no choice but to submit a new visa application, which costs over £4,000. As a low-income worker with no access to public funds, this is an impossible amount to raise alone, especially after already spending over £5,000 on my ILR application.

Breakdown of Urgent Immigration Costs:

Total: £4,868.50

Why This Matters:

I have done everything in my power to resolve this through legal channels:

- I submitted a reconsideration request and a fee waiver, but each particular process takes weeks (or months) for the Home Office to reply.

- I contacted my local MP, the Home Office directly, and also my Venezuelan embassy.

- I’ve sought help from charities and legal advice groups.

- I’ve worked truthfully and with honesty while raising a child, never asked for public money, and followed every rule.

Now I am asking for help — not just for me, but for my daughter. She is British, she belongs here, and I want to keep giving her the security and stability every child deserves.

How You Can Help:

Any donation — small or large — brings us one step closer to keeping our home and future intact.

If you're unable to donate, please consider sharing this story with others.

I never imagined I’d be in a position like this — asking publicly for support — but I’m choosing to do it with dignity and hope, because I believe in fairness, and I believe in the power of community to stand up for what’s right.

Thank you for reading and for standing with us during this difficult time.

With gratitude,

Kizzy Petit