GO THE DISTANCE
I’m begging strangers on the internet to give me £88k to move my girlfriend to the UK… we’ve only met a handful of times
keep reading to see how visas have changed since Brexit
A YOUNG long-distance couple have asked strangers online to pay for them to be together.
Nathaniel Bacchus, 24, from Ipplepen in Devon, and Karin Kohlmetz, a 26-year-old from Esbjerg in Denmark, fell in love after meeting online but have been forced apart because of 'Brexit'.
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The pair met on the platform Discord and despite only meeting a handful of times in person, they're asking strangers to pay over £80,000 to pay for visa fees so Karin can move to the UK.
After speaking online for six months, the pair started to take their relationship seriously and Nathaniel flew to Denmark to meet Karin for the first time in November 2022, which they said was “surreal”.
They have since visited each other a handful of times in the UK and Denmark respectively, but now dream of getting married and starting a family – with Karin applying for a spouse or partner visa and moving to the UK.
However the salary threshold for spouse or partner visas was raised to £29,000 earlier this year and Nathaniel does not meet those requirements after he left his job where he worked in a Co-op supermarket for seven years as he felt he could not progress further.
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He has now returned to studying to earn his English GCSE in attempt to gain a higher paid job in future, but as a result, the couple instead require a lump sum of £88,500 in savings in order to apply, so in an act of defiance they have launched a page to ask for help.
Speaking to PA Real Life, Nathaniel said of the changes to the spouse visa scheme: “It just seems to be being pushed further and further out of reach for an everyday, ordinary couple.
“When the Brexit vote was happening, I was 16 so I didn’t get the chance to have a say on something which has completely affected my future.”
Karin, who is completing a three-year visual communication degree at the University of UC SYD in Denmark, said of their situation: “It’s like having your heart in two different places because you’re just longing to connect again.
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“When you go back home, you have to deal with the heartache while also being present in your own life – on the inside you’re broken up and in complete remorse, it’s almost like you’re grieving, but you have to get on with it.”
The minimum income normally required to sponsor someone for a spouse or partner visa rose from £18,600 to £29,000 from April this year, according to the UK Government website.
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It was set to increase to £34,500 later in 2024 and then to £38,700 by early 2025 but PA Real Life understands these increases are being put on hold until an independent review is conducted – which is expected to take several months.
As Nathaniel does not currently have a salaried position which would meet the current income threshold, and the couple are set on living together in the UK, they need to rely on savings in order to apply for Karin’s visa.
The UK Government’s website states a couple with no relevant earnings who are looking to meet the threshold entirely through savings now need a lump sum of £88,500 to show they would be able to support themselves.
The couple said this figure is expected to decrease when Nathaniel earns an annual income which will be reflected into the total amount they need, and they said they will change the target on their fundraiser accordingly.
Visa changes since Brexit
Since Brexit, there have been significant changes to the visa requirements for European Union (EU) citizens wishing to move to the United Kingdom. Here are some of the key changes:
End of Free Movement: Prior to Brexit, EU citizens could move to the UK freely under the EU's principle of free movement. This is no longer the case. EU citizens now need a visa to live, work, or study in the UK.
Points-Based Immigration System: The UK has introduced a points-based immigration system, which treats EU and non-EU citizens equally. Applicants must meet a specific set of criteria to be granted a visa. Points are awarded for factors such as having a job offer from an approved employer, speaking English, and meeting a salary threshold.
Skilled Worker Visa: This is the primary route for EU citizens who want to work in the UK. To qualify, applicants need a job offer in a skilled occupation from a licensed sponsor, must meet the English language requirement, and earn a minimum salary (usually £25,600 or the "going rate" for the job, whichever is higher).
Student Visa: EU citizens wishing to study in the UK must apply for a Student visa. They will need to have an offer from an approved educational institution, enough money to support themselves and pay for their course, and must meet the English language requirement.
EU Settlement Scheme: EU citizens who were living in the UK before 31 December 2020 could apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to continue living in the UK. The deadline for most applications was 30 June 2021. Successful applicants are granted either settled status or pre-settled status, depending on the length of their residency.
Family Visa: EU citizens can apply for a Family visa if they have a family member who is a British citizen or has settled status in the UK. This route allows them to join their family member in the UK.
Visitor Visa: EU citizens can visit the UK for up to six months without a visa, but they cannot work or study during this period.
Frontier Worker Permit: This permit is for EU citizens who are employed or self-employed in the UK but live primarily outside the UK. It allows them to continue working in the UK after Brexit.
The end of free movement and the introduction of a points-based immigration system mark the most significant changes for EU citizens moving to the UK post-Brexit. EU citizens now face similar visa requirements to those from other countries outside the EU.
“I’ve asked so many people who do really well financially what they earn and they’ve been working for years and years in the same company and have not made that amount of money,” Nathaniel said.
Karin added: “We had a call with an immigration lawyer and it’s getting harder and harder because of Brexit.
“The £88,000 is just a ridiculous amount of money and I don’t know how people get through with it.”
Nathaniel and Karin first met on an online Discord server in May 2022 through a group of mutual internet friends.
The pair started to play video games together and chat online in the wider group before realising they had an extra fondness for each other.
It never gets easier and we know we’ll see each other again but it’s hard and it feels horrible.
Karin Kohlmetz
“We just hit it off very well, we had the same interests and there was a lot of flirtation early on,” Karin said.
“We would talk with other people on the call but eventually we moved onto private calls because I think we just clicked in a different way.”
Nathaniel flew to Denmark in November 2022 to meet Karin for the first time, extending an initial three-week stay for around two months before he returned home in January.
“It was surreal, I’m not the biggest traveller but as soon as I saw Karin, all the worries and anxieties just went away,” he said.
Karin added: “It was completely different being together in person but different in the best way possible.”
Since then, the couple have visited each other a handful of times in the UK and Denmark respectively, saying it is very tough to say goodbye each time.
“It never gets easier and we know we’ll see each other again but it’s hard and it feels horrible,” Karin said.
“You’re so used to being attached to the hip with this person and then they’re just gone.”
To mitigate the 970-mile distance, they call each other every day and ensure they have their next visit booked well in advance.
“After we finish our days, we both immediately call each other – we go to bed together on the same call and we wake up together on the same call,” Nathaniel said.
“We spend as much time as we can together.”
The couple are now looking to kickstart their future plans, which involves Karin applying for a spouse or partner visa in the UK and the couple needing £88,500 in savings to meet requirements.
They have started a GoFundMe page to help with the cost, however they will need to wait for three years before making any concrete plans in order for Karin to complete her university degree.
“We have our three-year time frame but I also have a biological clock – it’s hard,” Karin said.
Nathaniel added: “We don’t have the privilege of having the conversations of trying for a kid or getting married because it seems so far out of reach for us right now.”
On their advice for other long distance couples, they said “be patient”.
“One of the things a long-distance relationship teaches you is patience and taking one day at a time,” Karin said.
“You have to be in it together and you have to be very open and transparent.”
Nathaniel said: “Don’t give up and have that level of patience, there’s going to be challenges and complexities but you’ll get there.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “The minimum income requirement for family visas needs to balance a respect for family life while also maintaining the UK’s economic stability.
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“To help ensure we reach the right balance, we are pausing further changes to the requirement while the Migration Advisory Committee conducts an independent review.
“In cases where refusing a visa would cause unfair or harsh outcomes for the applicant or their family, permission can still be granted based on exceptional circumstances.”
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