Help me pay the visa to stay in the UK

Hi, it's Rebecca. My visa expired 29 December 2023 and when I asked for UKVI to waive my fees I got rejected. They only told me this last week.

This is the story of my pandemic emigration journey on Linkedin.

It was 30 March 2020 when the pandemic stripped my husband out of his job and as an expat (fancy word for wanted immigrants) he had to move back home.

For me and our three kids (7, 3 and 6 months) it's not moving back home. It was moving away from our place of birth. Half a globe away!

Because of COVID lockdown, I could not apply for a tourist nor family visa. No, it's not automatic because I'm married and gave birth to Brits.

It was only because we plead our case to the British Embassy in Jakarta that I was allowed to pass the borders without a visa on my passport.

And that permission was valid for 1 week after it was issued.

That meant I had to pack 9 years worth of household into 6 suitcases in 7 days while breastfeeding every 2 hours.

We landed on Heathrow 1 June 2020.

I touched my first snow 1 January 2021.

I got my visa, which permits me to work, 29 July 2021.

13 months of displacement.

13 months of not being able to apply for jobs.

13 months of being denied of social connection.

Since then I have built a small marketing agency in Southampton.

My visa expired 29 December 2023 and when I asked for UKVI to waive my fees I got rejected last week.

So now I have a week to confirm to the government that I will pay the £3635.50 non-refundable application fee, including NHS surcharge.

I don't have it.

What I have is a network of kind-hearted people: YOU.

I believe you want me to stay in England and continue to contribute to the UK economy and more importantly be with my little kids and dear husband.

Thank you for your contribution in donating and/or amplifying this campaign. It means a lot to me.

Rebecca