A Canadian-born woman has been refused a visa to settle in the UK with her British husband of 45 years.
Maria Summers, 66, and husband David, 70, wanted to return from Canada to live in Hereford to care for Mr Summers’ terminally-ill mother. But the authorities have twice refused to grant Mrs Summers a visa to settle permanently in the UK and her current visitor visa is due to run out in August.
The judge in her case said she had not provided enough evidence to prove she met the financial requirements. Mrs Summers, who has savings with her husband and owns a house in Herefordshire outright as well as earning money from a consultancy in Canada, said the relevant documents had been submitted.
She told the Hereford Times: "I'm getting tired of fighting at this point. I just want them [the authorities] to leave us alone and let us live. It makes me feel very unwelcome here. I'm appalled this could happen."
The couple had to spend a year apart until Mrs Summers was granted a temporary visa to visit the UK. They are now appealing again against the decision to turn down her latest bid for permanent residency.
Mr Summers, who has been elected as a county councillor for Herefordshire, said he could not understand why his wife has been turned down.
He said: "It doesn't make sense. We are both old people. We don't know how long we've got. I just want to be with my wife."
If Mrs Summers is unsuccessful, she will have to apply for six month visitor visas to live with her husband for half the year. She must then return to Canada for six months before she can come back to the UK.