Help Bec Stay in the UK

Hi everyone,

 

This is a very strange and rather humiliating position to be in but here we are.

 

My name is Bec. I've been living in the UK since September 2014. I have a job in a field I love and I'm pretty good at it. I live in a little flat in East London with rent that I can just about afford, with my lovely little pup, Luna. I don't earn very much money (if you've ever worked in the arts in the UK, you know that life) but I love my life here, I really do.

 

These recent times have been incredibly difficult for everyone and I certainly haven't been excluded from that. I had spent the last two years saving up for my VISA but unfortunately being left without a home in very difficult circumstances meant I burned through those savings just to survive the last year. I'm not going to lie, it's been really rough. But I'd still like to stay!

 

The UK immigration system operates an aptly named 'hostile environment' policy - a set of administrative and legislative policies designed to make staying in the UK as difficult as possible for immigrants. Brexit has only exacerbated this. Part of this hostile environment is the labyrinthine complexity of the process, and of course, the seemingly insurmountable costs. Theresa May is on record as saying a tenet of the policy is 'deport first, answer appeals later'. Thousands of people have been wrongfully deported due to Home Office mistakes. This means the stakes of getting everything exactly right are extremely high, as the Home Office will use any excuse to deport - then give you 7 days to leave the country, often with the added caveat of ineligibility to apply for another visa - ever.

 

I'm currently on a visa which is due to expire in December 2021. Since 2019 when I last applied for this visa, the costs have more than doubled. This is on top of any hidden costs, of which there are always at least a few. The Home Office also recommends getting an immigration specialist to look at your application first, more costs. I have been saving but it looks like what I've got might just cover the lawyer!

 

At minimum, these are the costs of obtaining a visa to live in the UK:

 

Indefinite Leave to Remain Visa - £2408.20

Biometric Residents Permit - £56

Processing of Application - £65

Biometric Enrolment - £19

Status Letter - £250

Life in the UK Test - £50

Visa Service - £573

Immigration Health Surcharge - £1,000

 

TOTAL - £4,421.20

 

This is without taking into account an immigration lawyer, or any hidden fees.

 

So here's the rub. I need your help. If you're so inclined, instead of a drink or a cup of coffee, maybe you could throw a couple of ££ my way. If you can't, I completely understand, we've all got our stuff. Maybe you could share this instead, it would be really helpful.

 

It's a difficult thing to be asking, and I feel really strange doing it, but a few people have reached out and been so kind in offering to help that this seemed like an easier way to share the burden.

 

I'm so thankful for anything you might be able to give to keep my little family together in this hostile environment.

 

Much love,

 

Bec xxx