A former world and British squash champion says she is angry and disgusted that her Australian husband has been refused a UK visa to allow the family to return to Britain.
Cassie Thomas left the UK five years ago with husband Matt and their two daughters, who were born in Britain, to live in his native Australia. They now want to return to Mrs Thomas’ home county of Norfolk, where they own a house in Horsford and Mr Thomas has a job to take up in Saham Toney with a civil engineering firm.
But he has been refused a UK visa because he left the UK more than two years ago by personal choice and also wishes to return by personal choice. The other alternatives the couple have is to apply for a spouse visa for Mr Thomas; to show they have savings of £62,500; or for Mrs Thomas to come to the UK alone for six months to work.
She told the Eastern Daily Press: “Because there is no control over people from the EU coming into Britain, they are targeting non-EU people instead, to try and keep immigration numbers down.
“My husband is from a Commonwealth country. We have a house in Norfolk, he has a job waiting for him. He’s never claimed benefits and we’ve always paid our taxes.
“The girls and I were born in Norfolk and I’ve represented my country at world level - what more do they want?”
The Home Office refused to comment on the couple’s situation, saying it did not comment on individual cases.