I’m British Citizen who fell in love with and married my wonderful wife Mariya a decade ago. We have a beautiful nine year old daughter Anna, and live here as a family in South Wales.

My wife has Uzbekistan citizenship and Russian nationality, meaning she has had to go through the Home Office to secure her right to stay here. After 2 years of refusing, setting an appeal and then withdrawing their claim against her, the Home Office have accepted in writing that she could have the visa. This was on 23rd of Oct - but they still haven’t given her the documents, despite saying it will only take a couple of weeks.  

During this battle, my wife’s mother fell ill with cancer. We pleaded with the Home Office to issue her visa and return her passport so that she could travel to see her for the last time.

Yesterday, my wife’s mother died. Unless her visa and passport are returned she won’t be able to go to Uzbekistan to attend her mother’s funeral. We are now pleading with the Home Office to let her say a final goodbye. Our MP Owen Smith is also calling on the Home Office to help us.

The body of my wife’s mother can only be held for seven days so the funeral will be on Saturday. We don’t have long left. She is the only relative and needs to be there for her mother.

My wife is a trained nurse with over 25 years experience and is keen to start working here but without the documents, she can’t. We have built a life and home here. It’s hard enough that the Home Office were trying to separate us but now it is excruciating that she cannot go say goodbye to her mother.

Please sign to call on the Home Office to urgently issue my wife’s visa and passport before Saturday.