Rustington residents rally against immigration rules

MEMBERS of a Rustington congregation are doing their utmost to stop a newly-wed couple being split up.

Robert Watson and his Russian bride Elena married in November after a six year engagement, but she is facing having to leave Britain at the end of the month.

Almost 60 members of the couple's church, St Peter and St Paul in Rustington, have signed a petition, asking the Home Office to reconsider its decision, and many have even written personal letters to the government department.

"Very much in love"

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Elena, 46, said they were "very much in love" and were "desperate to be together" following so many years conducting a long-distance relationship, after meeting in Tenerife in 2002.

"We have followed all the rules," said Robert, who celebrated his 60th birthday last week, "I understand that the government needs to protect against sham marriages, but with us that is simply not the case."

Elena came to the country in June, on a six-month visitor visa, after the pair had spent time travelling the USA.

"We had always intended to get married, but had not planned anything, nothing was solid," she said.

Falling in love with Rustington

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After travelling around the UK, the pair arrived in Rustington, and fell in love with the village.

"I was living in Tenerife, and Elena in Moscow," said Robert, "But we decided to move to Rustington, and to get married."

They found that as Elena had entered the UK on a visitor visa, rather than a fiance visa, they needed to apply for a Certificate of Approval (COA) for marriage, from the Home Office, and did so.

They married on November 22, at Brighton Town Hall, with a blessing at the church surrounded by new friends.

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Five months after applying for permission to stay, Elena was turned down, due to her visitor visa not having at least six months left to run when they wed.

High Court ruling

Robert said: "They do not even issue visitor visas for longer than six months. Before a High Court ruling in 2007, COAs were not granted to those with a visa of less than six months, but that was changed.

"It seems to be that the rules on COAs have changed, but those on leave to stay have not yet, and we have been caught in the middle."

A spokesman for the Home Office said that while he could not comment on individual cases, the situation the Watsons were in was not down to discrepancies in the rules.

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"The High Court case regarding COA does not have any impact or result on the process an applicant must go through for further leave to remain.

"Any applicant will still have to meet the requirements, including having six months left on a visitor visa."

Robert and Elena have launched an appeal against the Home Office decision.