A British man who has been married to his Chinese-born wife for 14 years says he has been let down by the UK spouse visa system, which has prevented her from joining him in Britain.
Frank and Jade Dutton met while he was working in Shanghai 17 years ago and married three years later. The couple lived together in Australia and then China, but now that Mr Dutton has relocated to the UK to work, his wife has twice been denied a spouse visa.
She was turned down originally for a spouse visa via the British Embassy in China, then her application for a family visa, which would allow her to visit the UK for up to 12 months, was also rejected.
Mr Dutton, from Ely in Cambridgeshire, told the Wisbech Standard: “This application was supported with reference letters from the company I work for, including financial details proving I could support her and that she owned property in Shanghai as well as having her own money.”
Mrs Dutton has since been approved for a family visa on her second application, which was identical to the first one that was submitted. Mrs Dutton, a fluent English speaker, will now have to repeat the process in a year’s time if she cannot gain approval for a spouse visa.
Mr Dutton, who has only seen his wife for five weeks in the last seven months, said: “Jade is not a mail order bride; we have been married 14 years. I have a good well paid job, we have property in China, we have a proven relationship, we have lived in Australia, but none of this is taken into account.”