Dear friends,

I promised myself I would only ever ask for help with visa costs if I had a job offer in hand - and I’m relieved to say that moment has arrived. A company has offered me a role and will cover their sponsorship license. But the remaining visa expenses, unfortunately unavoidable, fall to me.

The good news: I don’t need to pay lawyer fees (I’ve become my own immigration expert after years of navigating the system!). The challenge: after three months out of work, my savings are gone, and these visa costs are simply more than I can shoulder alone.

Here’s why this moment is so urgent:

I am just 12 months away from qualifying for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), the final step in securing my future in the UK . It’s taken me nearly five years to get here, and if I leave now, I’ll lose everything I’ve built. With recent immigration law changes, if I were to leave the country and come back in the future to start over, it would mean waiting 10 years instead of 5 for ILR. This is my only chance to cross the finish line.

London has been my home for four years. It’s the place where I’ve finally found independence, purpose, and belonging. I cannot imagine abandoning it now - not when I’m so close.

With your help, I can secure this visa, keep my new job, and stay on track to finally make my home here permanent.

I’m raising £3,000 to cover the visa costs:

Visa application + priority service: £1,385

Immigration Health Surcharge: £1,035

Certificate of Sponsorship: £239

Immigration Skills Charge: £364

Any contribution, big or small, brings me and my sweet fur baby Ozzy one step closer to stability, security, and a future we’ve worked so hard for. Your generosity will mean the world to us, and I will pay it forward with the same love and kindness you’ve shown me.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping me hold onto the life I’ve built. I’m forever grateful.

With love and deep gratitude,

Britt & Ozzy xx