Support Diane's Fight to Remain in the UK
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Dr Diane Pennington is a Senior Lecturer and Course Director for the MSc/PGDip in Information and Library Studies at the Department of Computer and Information Sciences, University of Strathclyde. As a direct result of the hostile environment for migrants in the UK, Dr Pennington has been prevented from teaching students and taking part in her academic work due to extenuating circumstances in renewing her work visa. A busy workload, health matters and bad advice from University of Strathclyde’s Human Resources department have all contributed to current immigration problems.
Dr Pennington had assumed that her Tier 2 visa was set to expire at the end of March 2021. However, University of Strathclyde HR informed Dr Pennington on 15 March 2021 that her visa had already expired. On the same day, Dr Pennington applied online for a one year skilled work visa, but was informed that because of the global pandemic, no biometric appointments were available until mid-April 2021. As a result, Dr Pennington has lost the right to work and her pay has been suspended. Dr Pennington’s husband, who is also American and has been working through a Tier 2 partner visa, has also been made redundant due to this.
Dr Pennington would not be contending with her current immigration woes, had it not been for the negligence and mismanagement by University of Strathclyde HR. In March 2020, Strathclyde HR failed to notify Dr Pennington that she should apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK, as she had been working and living in the UK for five years. It was not until February 2021 that Strathclyde HR notified Dr Pennington that she had passed the deadline to apply for ILR in the UK. Had Dr Pennington been given correct information from HR concerning her application for ILR, she would not need to apply for another expensive skilled worker visa in addition to paying fees associated with the international NHS health surcharge, totaling £2,500 for one year of a Skilled Worker visa in addition to the £5,000 additional that it will cost to apply for ILR for herself and her husband Joseph. Dr Pennington and Joseph have now spent their savings and are fast going into debt trying to sort their immigration situation as a result of the mistakes made by Strathclyde HR.
Dr Pennington is a disabled academic who suffers from endometriosis, colitis and polycystic ovaries, and who takes medication for depression and anxiety. She has been very unwell during the pandemic, and she suffers from excessive stress and anxiety directly because of the pastoral role that she took in supporting and protecting her students, particularly those who are international students who were left with little support during the pandemic.
Migrants like Dr Pennington have no recourse to public funds (NRPF). This means Dr Pennington does not have access to universal credit and housing benefits. Because both Dr Pennington and her husband Joseph have had their pay suspended while they sort their immigration problems, Unis Resist Border Controls (URBC) is raising funds to pay for their maintenance costs while the Home Office reviews their application.
Please donate whatever you can to Dr Pennington’s fundraiser. If you cannot donate funds, please share Dr Pennington’s fundraiser on social media.
The current government often indicates that UK higher education is ‘world class’, but forgets that it is migrant academic labour that ensures this. Dr Pennington’s case is one of many that point to why the hostile environment policy must end.
Dr Pennington had assumed that her Tier 2 visa was set to expire at the end of March 2021. However, University of Strathclyde HR informed Dr Pennington on 15 March 2021 that her visa had already expired. On the same day, Dr Pennington applied online for a one year skilled work visa, but was informed that because of the global pandemic, no biometric appointments were available until mid-April 2021. As a result, Dr Pennington has lost the right to work and her pay has been suspended. Dr Pennington’s husband, who is also American and has been working through a Tier 2 partner visa, has also been made redundant due to this.
Dr Pennington would not be contending with her current immigration woes, had it not been for the negligence and mismanagement by University of Strathclyde HR. In March 2020, Strathclyde HR failed to notify Dr Pennington that she should apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK, as she had been working and living in the UK for five years. It was not until February 2021 that Strathclyde HR notified Dr Pennington that she had passed the deadline to apply for ILR in the UK. Had Dr Pennington been given correct information from HR concerning her application for ILR, she would not need to apply for another expensive skilled worker visa in addition to paying fees associated with the international NHS health surcharge, totaling £2,500 for one year of a Skilled Worker visa in addition to the £5,000 additional that it will cost to apply for ILR for herself and her husband Joseph. Dr Pennington and Joseph have now spent their savings and are fast going into debt trying to sort their immigration situation as a result of the mistakes made by Strathclyde HR.
Dr Pennington is a disabled academic who suffers from endometriosis, colitis and polycystic ovaries, and who takes medication for depression and anxiety. She has been very unwell during the pandemic, and she suffers from excessive stress and anxiety directly because of the pastoral role that she took in supporting and protecting her students, particularly those who are international students who were left with little support during the pandemic.
Migrants like Dr Pennington have no recourse to public funds (NRPF). This means Dr Pennington does not have access to universal credit and housing benefits. Because both Dr Pennington and her husband Joseph have had their pay suspended while they sort their immigration problems, Unis Resist Border Controls (URBC) is raising funds to pay for their maintenance costs while the Home Office reviews their application.
Please donate whatever you can to Dr Pennington’s fundraiser. If you cannot donate funds, please share Dr Pennington’s fundraiser on social media.
The current government often indicates that UK higher education is ‘world class’, but forgets that it is migrant academic labour that ensures this. Dr Pennington’s case is one of many that point to why the hostile environment policy must end.
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Unis Resist Border Controls
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