Former Strictly Come Dancing star Anya Garnis has revealed she and her young family could be left homeless due to a catastrophic error by the Home Office.
The professional dancer, who has lived in Britain since 2013, was recently prevented from renting a property in Devon after the government's landlord checking system incorrectly stated she had no right to live in the UK.
From Dance Star to Immigration Limbo
Anya Garnis, a US citizen originally from Russia, moved to the UK on a temporary visa in 2013 to work on the hit BBC show Strictly Come Dancing. The 43-year-old has built a life in Britain, marrying husband Sunna Van Kampen in 2017 and having two children, now aged three and one.
Before her Strictly fame, Garnis had an illustrious international career. She began dancing at age 10 and started competing professionally with her partner Pasha Kovalev in 1998. The pair moved to the United States in 2001, where they reached the final of the US Open Ballroom Championship multiple times and appeared on So You Think You Can Dance.
Her impressive credentials include performances at the Emmys and Oscars, and headlining the Broadway show Burn The Floor.
The Home Office System Failure
The crisis began when Garnis applied to renew her permission to remain in the UK last September. Despite Home Office guidelines stating that applicants have automatic leave to remain while their applications are processed, she heard nothing for months.
When she recently attempted to rent a property in Totnes, Devon, the Home Office's Landlord Checking Service (LCS) rejected her application, suggesting she didn't have permission to live in the country.
The Home Office subsequently admitted her application for leave to remain may have been lost, effectively rendering her immigration status illegal despite her having lived in Britain legally for over a decade on rolling temporary visas.
Impossible Situation for Young Family
Speaking to MailOnline, Garnis expressed her devastation: "I was absolutely shocked and devastated. We have to leave the place we're living now in a couple of weeks, but have been told we can't rent or buy anywhere else."
The family now faces an impossible catch-22 situation. "In effect, this will leave us homeless in Britain," Garnis explained. "If we leave the country, my visa application will be dismissed entirely, but we may have no choice."
She highlighted that this isn't an isolated case, noting: "I know highly skilled Americans who have been forced to give up on a life in Britain and move back home because of this catch."
The Home Office has declined to comment on individual cases, leaving the Garnis-Van Kampen family in limbo as their moving deadline approaches.
