A British woman who is living with cystic fibrosis says she is “devastated” that her Turkish husband’s application for a spouse visa has been rejected.
Nansi Say, who married Ramiz in 2014, is now facing a further 12 months without her husband while they go through the appeals process.
Mrs Say, who is half Turkish and lives in Rossendale, Lancs, is 24 and has a life expectancy of 41 due to her medical condition. She has not yet been able to live long-term in the same country as her husband, who she met while visiting her father in Turkey in 2012.
She told the Manchester Evening News: “An appeal can take up to a year and as my condition could deteriorate at any time, I just want to spend every possible minute with him.”
Mrs Say is dependent on NHS treatment to manage her cystic fibrosis. She cannot live in Turkey with her husband because the drug she takes for her condition costs around £280,000 a year, which she cannot afford.
Mr Say was turned down for a spouse visa because the authorities said his wife had not shown she was earning the minimum £18,600 a year required to bring an overseas partner to live with them in the UK.
Mrs Say, who works as a sales manager at Travis Perkins, said she did meet the earning requirement and had sent evidence to prove that she does.
“It’s so frustrating, I exceed the income requirements and sent all the proof,” she said.
Mrs Say was born in the UK but lived in Turkey until she was four.
She added: "I’m not a holiday romance cliche and we don’t have cultural issues as we share the same culture. We talk on Skype but I get home and no-one’s there. It’s horrible.”