This is Exeter -- New rules introduced by the Home Office last year to reduce the flow of migrants have prevented the daughter of a Tory councillor from a long-established Westcountry family from bringing her doctor husband back to the UK to start a new life. The regulations, which were imposed by Theresa May in 2012 and include a £18,600 minimum salary, are now keeping Elizabeth Celi Parr's family thousands of miles apart, making her a single mum. Elizabeth, 29, from Colyton, has been refused permission to bring husband Ramiro Alexander Celi Moreno from his native Ecuador, despite the couple being offered jobs with the family firm and rent-free accommodation in the large family home. Frustrated by red tape, the mother-of-one has turned campaigner, battling to overturn the Government decision and helping other families who have been similarly affected in the South West. She met Alexander, 33, in 2006 – ironically the pair came together as she struggled to get to Quito to register her visa as an English teacher – and they were married in 2011, going on to live in Argentina and Chile. But when baby Olivia, now 21 months old, was born the pair realised they needed the support of a family and decided to settle in England, where Alexander's medical training – he was working for a 24-hour on-call service – could lead to a well-paid job. By the time she applied, Elizabeth was earning maternity pay from her job as a financial assistant at Trans America investment bank. The £13,000 salary she received – three times the minimum wage in Chile – met the Government's minimum requirement when her savings were added, but the application was still refused, leaving her angry and upset. "I am a British citizen, we are happily married and both very skilled – I never thought for a moment I would not be allowed to come back to live in my own country with my husband," she said. "The ridiculous thing about not allowing Alexander to come here, where he could earn good wages, is that I am now a single mother – were it not for my parents I would probably have to go on benefits. "We would not be a burden and there is plenty of room here – even with me, my parents and my sister we are rattling around here. "The Government idea is supposed to be to lessen the burden on taxpayers but it increases it – I cannot understand how these rules are helping anyone." Following her refusal from the Home Office, Elizabeth set up the South West United Families Facebook site, to help other divided families share information. This week she travelled up to London to meet with the Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols. Campaigners point out that 47% of British families would fail to meet the income requirement, which is much higher than the minimum wages, and would be unable to invite a spouse to join them from outside the European Economic Area (EEA). Some believe the Government may scale back the salary level but others feel David Cameron's pledge to reduce migration to the tens of thousands means the rules will remain tough. Elizabeth now works for the family business J & FJ Baker & Co Ltd, Britain's only remaining traditional oak bark tannery still in production. It has been owned for 150 years by the family of her father Andrew Parr, chairman of the parish council, and his wife Helen, who represents the Conservatives at East Devon district council. Elizabeth, a project manager at the firm, appealed in April and received notification this month that she will now have to go to court. When asked how she copes without her husband, she becomes emotional and tearful, describing having to raise her daughter alone while working and fighting the Home Office as "exhausting". And to make matters worse, now the couple have applied for a permanent visa, Alexander cannot be granted a tourist visa for fear he will not return to Ecuador. "Myself and Olivia went over for a holiday in July but it was a nightmare – I spent 24 hours travelling with a crying baby," she added. "She couldn't eat the food, developed and infection and came back two kilos lighter."
Reported by This is 2 days ago.
This is Exeter -- New rules introduced by the Home Office last year to reduce the flow of migrants have prevented the daughter of a Tory councillor from a long-established Westcountry family from bringing her doctor husband back to the UK to start a new life. The regulations, which were imposed by Theresa May in 2012 and include a £18,600 minimum salary, are now keeping Elizabeth Celi Parr's family thousands of miles apart, making her a single mum. Elizabeth, 29, from Colyton, has been refused permission to bring husband Ramiro Alexander Celi Moreno from his native Ecuador, despite the couple being offered jobs with the family firm and rent-free accommodation in the large family home. Frustrated by red tape, the mother-of-one has turned campaigner, battling to overturn the Government decision and helping other families who have been similarly affected in the South West. She met Alexander, 33, in 2006 – ironically the pair came together as she struggled to get to Quito to register her visa as an English teacher – and they were married in 2011, going on to live in Argentina and Chile. But when baby Olivia, now 21 months old, was born the pair realised they needed the support of a family and decided to settle in England, where Alexander's medical training – he was working for a 24-hour on-call service – could lead to a well-paid job. By the time she applied, Elizabeth was earning maternity pay from her job as a financial assistant at Trans America investment bank. The £13,000 salary she received – three times the minimum wage in Chile – met the Government's minimum requirement when her savings were added, but the application was still refused, leaving her angry and upset. "I am a British citizen, we are happily married and both very skilled – I never thought for a moment I would not be allowed to come back to live in my own country with my husband," she said. "The ridiculous thing about not allowing Alexander to come here, where he could earn good wages, is that I am now a single mother – were it not for my parents I would probably have to go on benefits. "We would not be a burden and there is plenty of room here – even with me, my parents and my sister we are rattling around here. "The Government idea is supposed to be to lessen the burden on taxpayers but it increases it – I cannot understand how these rules are helping anyone." Following her refusal from the Home Office, Elizabeth set up the South West United Families Facebook site, to help other divided families share information. This week she travelled up to London to meet with the Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols. Campaigners point out that 47% of British families would fail to meet the income requirement, which is much higher than the minimum wages, and would be unable to invite a spouse to join them from outside the European Economic Area (EEA). Some believe the Government may scale back the salary level but others feel David Cameron's pledge to reduce migration to the tens of thousands means the rules will remain tough. Elizabeth now works for the family business J & FJ Baker & Co Ltd, Britain's only remaining traditional oak bark tannery still in production. It has been owned for 150 years by the family of her father Andrew Parr, chairman of the parish council, and his wife Helen, who represents the Conservatives at East Devon district council. Elizabeth, a project manager at the firm, appealed in April and received notification this month that she will now have to go to court. When asked how she copes without her husband, she becomes emotional and tearful, describing having to raise her daughter alone while working and fighting the Home Office as "exhausting". And to make matters worse, now the couple have applied for a permanent visa, Alexander cannot be granted a tourist visa for fear he will not return to Ecuador. "Myself and Olivia went over for a holiday in July but it was a nightmare – I spent 24 hours travelling with a crying baby," she added. "She couldn't eat the food, developed and infection and came back two kilos lighter."
Reported by This is 2 days ago.