A millionaire British businessman is threatening to sue the Government after his Ukrainian wife’s UK visa application was rejected on financial grounds.
Richard Spinks, who lives in Ukraine with wife Tetyana and their two sons, heads the London Stock Exchange-listed Active Energy Group. He had been planning to bring his family to Britain for Christmas until his wife’s application was turned down because of insufficient evidence she would be “adequately maintained and accommodated or will be able to meet the cost of your return or onward journey”.
The letter added that Mrs Spinks, an antiques dealer who has owned property in London, did not have the right to appeal against the decision or seek an administrative review.
Mr Spinks told the Evening Standard: “It is ridiculous. If I were to die tomorrow she’d be a multi-millionaire. My wife filed her visa application in Kiev having paid more than €1,000 along with evidence of over £2 million of assets.
“She enclosed details of my position as chief executive officer of a London Stock Exchange-listed company with associated income and equity holdings, not to mention options and warrants.”
This is not the first time the family has been embroiled in a UK visa fight. Mr Spinks spent a decade battling to get British passports for his two sons, which they now have.
“I’m going to sue the Government and I’m going to continue until I win,” he said.
The family were unable to leave war-torn Ukraine last year due to administrative errors, even though their lives were at risk. They were forced to leave their home in the east of the country after pro-Russian fighters broke in, threatened to kill his staff and accused him of being a spy. They have since resettled in western Ukraine.