I begged strangers online to pay £88,000 to move my girlfriend to Britain
A YOUNG long-distance couple has asked strangers online to pay for their time together.
Nathaniel Bacchus, 24, from Ipplepen in Devon, and Karin Kohlmetz, a 26-year-old from Esbjerg in Denmarkfell in love after meeting online, but broke up because of ‘Brexit’.
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The pair met on the platform Discord and despite only meeting in person a handful of times, they are asking strangers to pay more than £80,000 in visa fees so Karin can move to Britain.
After six months of speaking online, the pair started taking their relationship seriously and Nathaniel flew to Denmark in November 2022 to meet Karin for the first time, which they said was “surreal.”
They have since visited each other a few times in Britain and Denmark respectively, but now dream of getting married and starting a family – with Karin applying for a spouse or partner visa and moving to Britain.
However, the salary threshold for spouse or partner visas was increased to £29,000 earlier this year and Nathaniel does not meet these requirements after leaving his job, where he worked in a Co-op supermarket for seven years, because he felt he could not continue could come.
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He has now returned to study to obtain his English GCSE in a bid to get a better paying job futurebut as a result the couple instead need a lump sum of £88,500 in savings to sign up, so in an act of defiance they have started a campaign GoFundMe page to ask for help.
Speaking to PA Real Life, Nathaniel said of the changes to the spouse visa regime: “It seems to be moving further and further out of reach for an everyday, ordinary couple.
“When the Brexit vote happened I was 16, so I didn’t get the chance to have a say in something that completely affected my future.”
Karin, who is completing a three-year visual communications degree at UC SYD University in Denmark, said of their situation: “It’s like having your heart in two different places because you just long to reconnect.
“When you go back home, you have to deal with the grief while also being present in your own life – inside you are broken and completely remorseful, it’s almost like you’re grieving, but you have to move on.”
The minimum income normally required to sponsor someone for a spouse or partner visa has risen from £18,600 to £29,000 from April this year, according to the UK government website.
The amount was planned to rise to £34,500 later in 2024 and then to £38,700 in early 2025, but PA Real Life understands that these increases will be suspended until an independent review is carried out – which is expected to take several months.
Because Nathaniel does not currently have a paid job that meets the current income limit, and the couple plans to live together in Great Britain, they are dependent on their savings to apply for Karin’s visa.
The UK government website states that a couple with no relevant income, who want to meet the threshold entirely through savings, now need a lump sum of £88,500 to demonstrate they can support themselves.
The couple said this figure is expected to drop as Nathaniel earns an annual income that will be reflected in the total amount they need. goal on their fundraiser accordingly.
Visa changes since Brexit
Since Brexit, there have been significant changes to visa requirements for European Union (EU) citizens wishing to move to the United Kingdom. Here are some of the most important changes:
End of free movement: Before Brexit, EU citizens could move freely to Britain under the EU principle of free movement. This is no longer the case. EU citizens now need a visa to live, work or study in Britain.
Points-based immigration system: Britain has introduced a points-based immigration system, which treats EU citizens and non-EU citizens equally. Applicants must meet a specific set of criteria to obtain a visa. Points are awarded for factors such as having a job offer from an approved employer, speaking English and meeting a salary threshold.
Skilled Worker Visa: This is the main route for EU citizens wanting to work in Britain. To qualify, applicants need a job offer in a skilled occupation from a recognized sponsor, meet the English language requirement and earn a minimum salary (usually £25,600 or the “going rate” for the job, whichever is higher ).
Student visa: EU citizens who want to study in Great Britain must apply for a student visa. They must receive an offer from a recognized educational institution, sufficient funds to support themselves and pay for their course, and must meet the English language requirement.
EU establishment scheme: EU citizens who lived in Great Britain before December 31, 2020 could apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to continue living in the United Kingdom. The deadline for most applications was June 30, 2021. Successful applicants will be granted settled status or pre-settled status depending on the length of their stay.
Family visa: EU citizens can apply for a family visa if they have a family member who is a British citizen or has settled status in Britain. This route allows them to join their relative in Great Britain.
Visitor visa: EU citizens can visit Britain for up to six months without a visa, but cannot work or study during this period.
Cross-border worker permit: This permit is intended for EU citizens who are employed or self-employed in Great Britain, but mainly live outside the United Kingdom. This will allow them to continue working in Great Britain after Brexit.
The end of free movement and the introduction of a points-based immigration system mark the most significant changes for EU citizens moving to Britain after Brexit. EU citizens now face similar visa requirements to those of other countries outside the EU.
“I’ve asked so many people who are doing really well financially what they make and they’ve been in the same company for years and years and haven’t made that amount,” Nathaniel said.
Karin added: “We had a phone call with an immigration lawyer and it is becoming increasingly difficult because of Brexit.
“That £88,000 is just a ridiculous amount of money and I don’t know how people get by on it.”
Nathaniel and Karin first met on an online Discord server in May 2022 through a group of mutual internet friends.
The pair started playing video games together and chatting online with the wider group before realizing they had an extra fondness for each other.
It never gets easier and we know we will see each other again, but it’s hard and it feels awful.
Karin Kohlmetz
“We hit it off really well, we had the same interests and there was a lot of flirting early on,” said Karin.
“We would talk to other people on the call, but eventually we switched to private conversations because I think we just clicked in a different way.”
Nathaniel flew to Denmark in November 2022 to meet Karin for the first time, extending an initial three-week stay by around two months before returning home in January.
“It was surreal, I’m not the biggest traveler, but as soon as I saw Karin, all the worries and concerns just disappeared,” he said.
Karin added: “It was very different being together in person, but different in the best way possible.”
Since then, the couple has visited each other a few times in Britain and Denmark respectively, saying it is very difficult to say goodbye each time.
“It never gets easier and we know we will see each other again, but it is hard and it feels terrible,” Karin said.
“You get so used to being attached to this person at the hip and then they’re just gone.”
To shorten the distance of 970 miles, they call each other every day to make sure they have their destination next visit booked well in advance.
“After we end our days, we call each other immediately – we go to bed together with the same call and wake up together with the same call,” Nathaniel said.
“We spend as much time together as possible.”
The couple are now looking to give a boost to their future plans, with Karin applying for a spouse or partner visa in Britain and the couple needing £88,500 in savings to meet the requirements.
They have started a GoFundMe page to help cover costs, but they will have to wait three years before they can make concrete plans for Karin to complete her university studies.
“We have a three-year time frame, but I also have a biological clock – that’s difficult,” Karin said.
Nathaniel added: “We don’t have the privilege of having conversations about trying to have a child or getting married because it seems so far out of reach for us right now.”
In their advice for other long-distance couples, they said, “be patient.”
“One of the things a long-distance relationship teaches you is patience and taking it one day at a time,” Karin said.
“You have to be in it together and be very open and transparent.”
Nathaniel said: “Don’t give up and have so much patience. There will be challenges and complexities, but you will get there.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “The minimum income requirement for family visas must strike a balance between respect for family life while maintaining Britain’s economic stability.
“To ensure we achieve the right balance, we are pausing any further changes to the requirement while the Migration Advisory Committee conducts an independent review.
“In cases where refusing a visa would have unfair or harsh consequences for the applicant or their family, permission may still be granted on the basis of exceptional circumstances.”
