Ann(PuiLing)andCraig“Asacitizenofthiscountry,Ididnotexpectsucharawdeal.Ihadgoodintentionsgoingoverseastowork.Ileftwithmywife,neverthinkingshe’dnotbeallowedbackintothecountrytosettlewithme.”CraigisaScotsmanfromtheHighlands.AnnisayoungChinesewomanwhohasrelativesintheNorthbutherlifewasinHongKong.Ononeofhervisitshere,AnnmetCraigandoversixyearsago,theygotmarriedinInverness.Theyhadn’tplannedtostayinScotlandasCraighadsecuredateachingjobinHongKong.TheyleftrightaftertheweddingtostarttheirlivestogetherandAnncontinuedinheremploymentthere.Earlyin2012,CraigandAnndecidedtoreturntoScotland,notrealizingtheimmigrationconditionswereintheprocessofchange.TheEnglishlanguagetestwasalreadyarequirementsoAnnmadesureshetookit,assheneededtotakeitinthecountryoforigin.Shepassed.Thecouplegaveuptheirapartment,soldtheirthingsandbothlefttheirjobs,hopingtostartafreshinScotland,perhapsevenstartafamily.SinceAnnandCraiggotbackinOctober2012,theirliveshavebeenanightmare.AsaBritishcitizen,Craighadhadnoideahisrelationshipwouldbeundersuchscrutiny,thathismarriagewouldbejudgedsoseverelyjudged.Hishopetoreturn‘home’hasputtheirlivesinaprecariousposition.Craighasnotbeenabletofindwork.Heistrainingtobeahazardoussubstanceslorrydriverasitistheonlythinghecanfind,butheisnotguaranteedwork.Inanyevent,heisunlikelytoreachtherequired£18,600minimumincometosatisfytheUKBorderAgencywhenapplyingforAnn’svisatoremainhere.Ann’spotentialtoearnisnotevenconsidered.TheyarecurrentlylivingwithCraig’sparents.AnnandCraigfaceastressful,uncertainfewmonthsahead.In2013,shewillhavetoleavewhenhercurrentvisaexpires.TherearenoeasysolutionsforAnn,exceptinUKBAterms,familyseparation.Inacivilizedcountry,theycanhavenoexpectationofaprivate,familylifeanytimesoon.IFYOUAREALSOAFFECTEDBYUKHOMEOFFICEFAMILYIMMIGRATIONPOLICY,GETINTOUCHWITHUSTOINCLUDEYOURCASEINOURPORTFOLIOTOTHEFAMILYMIGRATIONINQUIRYATTHEWESTMINSTERPARLIAMENT.Emailinfo@migrantsrightsscotland.org.ukorseewww.migrantsrightsscotland.org.uk.