It's a big anniversary for us today - a year after our tribunal hearing.
Robyn is American and was here on a visa - she applied for a new visa and neither of us realised this was a situation where The Home Office takes a huge fee and then automatically refuses the request. More than that, they slapped an immediate application for a deportation order and seized her passport.
I was desperate and, of course, we appealed.
A year ago in November I was in Charing Cross Hospital for a 'simple' kidney operation. I was meant to be there for a couple of days which turned into a week when they couldn't stop the bleeding.
So this became our legal office;
We had statements to write, bundles of documents to sort out and number, strategy and plans to work out. In fact, the more research I did the less chance we seemed to have.
Robyn struggled from home and back on a variety of buses and trains, carting her computer with her because the Hospitals Wi-Fi had caused my computer to sieze up - as soon as I got home it was OK.
We ended up e-mailing statements to each other, rewriting them and e-mailing them back again. Then Robyn printed them out and then copied the bundles of documents at huge expense at the local newsagents. They must have thought Christmas had come early.
It was only later at court that we discovered that The Home Office had 'lost' their copy, which we had sent by registered post.
We kept a spare copy - I'm used to that happening.
Here's our case;
And then on the 14th December we struggled up to Feltham to the tribunal to put our case to the Judge.
Really, I suppose we were very lucky.
But the alternative was unthinkable.
Either we went on the run, which is a bit of a problem in my state - more like a saunter, with the occasional use of a walking frame to hold me up.
We weren't exactly Thelma and Louise.
Or Robyn went back to the States and we were separated.
Anyway, today I've been reliving it all and it's not been much fun.
Robyn tells me to just be grateful but I can't forget that 2015 was the last year when I could have travelled but we couldn't take a holiday thanks to Theresa May and The Home Office.
Or that they didn't even really consider our application - just refused it out of hand.
I remember it all - our friends Martin and Sue who came to give evidence for us, me pacing up and down in the corridor. The Judge not letting me in to advise Robyn, so she was alone in the courtroom.
Running through in my head all the problems in our case; and there only seemed to be problems.
And then it was over and we faced a month long wait for the result - after Christmas.
As I said, I am grateful for the year but I'm angry we were put through such an ordeal. I didn't need the stress. And it was all such a struggle too.
And now the awful Theresa May is Prime Minister.
Neil Harris
(a don't stop till you drop production)
Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
Contact me: neilwith-promisestokeep@gmail.com
We've both had an identical letter from The Home Office, which is why I'm growling even though it could well be good news.
It's hard to tell.
I should explain that we spent 2015 fighting their attempts to deport Robyn and refuse her a visa. We couldn't go anywhere because they seized her passport.
Well, we won at the tribunal.
So then we went to The Registry Office to give notice that we intended to get married - that was fine based on Robyn's visa.
Except we then got a letter from The Home Office telling us and the Registry office that we needed to give 70 days notice instead of 28.
So we had to cancel the wedding and put it back. We made a decision that, whatever their decision, we were going ahead anyway.
So our letters?
They tell us that we "have complied with the investigation".
Really?
They had until 10th June to interview us and they didn't. So all we did was to confirm by e-mail where we were living and that was it.
They haven't told us that our wedding is legitimate (we have a Learned Judge's ruling that our relationship is genuine) or that it can go ahead. In fact they still have until the 20th June to object.
Anyway, it's happening on the 28th June.
Either it's going to be done by the designated officials or it will be done by us.
Whatever.
Neil Harris
(a don't stop till you drop production)
Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
Contact me: neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com
We ended up back at The Registry Office - this must be a record.
It wasn't a happy morning.
A week ago we got notice from The Home Office that we had to give 70 days notice instead of the usual 28 so that they can "Investigate whether our relationship is genuine".
That meant our wedding can't go ahead now.
So it wasn't a very happy selfie this time.
I should say that we'd assumed it would be the 70 days in the first place but the Registry Office took a fortnight to give us an appointment, then told us we didn't need 70 days and that 28 days would do.
We booked our wedding, paid the bills, made the plans, told people from the USA to book their tickets........
We also picked June 7th because it would quiet and so that I'd have finished my Chemotherapy in time and I would be fit for the day.
And now we've cancelled it all.
I should also say that we fought our case at a tribunal back in December and won a ruling from the Right Honourable Judge that we did indeed have a genuine relationship.
We now face interviews and investigations by The Home Office and even the possibility that they could try to 'ban' us from marrying. So far, they've stopped us getting married for 18 months.
This time, I may have to get all legal with them, I've had enough.
Well, we've paid out money, cancelled and rebooked but we'll announce the new date in a few days time when we've got confirmation.
And if they ban us?
We may have to marry ourselves.
Neil Harris
(a don't stop till you drop production)
Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
Contact me: neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com
