A father has been left heartbroken after being separated from his children for seven weeks due to a visa issue. Ryan Cameron, who has lived in the UK since he was 18 months old, says he has indefinite leave to remain but was prevented from boarding a flight home from Barbados on March 16 because his physical paperwork was no longer considered valid.
Sudden Rule Change Leaves Dad Stranded
The Home Office is taking a phased approach to replacing physical documents with eVisas, a digital record system. From March 11, travel documents are supposed to be automatically linked to UKVI accounts. However, Ryan claims he was denied boarding despite having used the same documents on previous trips. He was told he needed to apply for a No Time Limit visa, which can only be done from within the UK.
Ryan, a professional tiler from Blackwater, Cornwall, has been unable to return to his family, who flew home with his mother. He has raised £2,600 towards a £3,000 GoFundMe goal to support his business, which is at serious risk due to lost work.
Emotional Toll on Family
Ryan described the situation as heartbreaking. "People can't comprehend how much this situation affects their kids, let alone my mental health, my emotional wellbeing and my financial situation," he said. "It breaks my heart every day when I speak to my kids over Facetime and they just cry, asking for dad to come home."
He explained that when he scanned his passport in the UK, nothing flagged up. But in Barbados, he was told the paper form was not digital. The Home Office said it sent emails about the changes, but Ryan claims he received no notification.
Conflicting Advice from Authorities
After being denied boarding, Ryan visited the British High Commission, which directed him to the American Embassy due to his US passport. The embassy said they could not help as the flight was to the UK. The Home Office later granted permission to fly on an Electronic Travel Authorisation, but UKVI officials denied it because he is a resident, not a tourist.
Ryan feels authorities have shown a lack of compassion. "There's conflicting stories between the Home Office and UK Visa and Immigration staff so there's not one straight path they both could agree for me to take," he said. "It's hard and there's no compassion from any authority to help."
The Home Office has stated that the transition to eVisas does not affect immigration status, and those with indefinite leave to remain can still use physical documents. A Home Office spokesperson said: "We are working with carriers to resolve the issue and ensure Mr Cameron can return to the UK."
