Rachel Mackay, 29, from Manchester, currently living in Wigan, has been raising her eight-month-old daughter Emersyn largely alone as her husband Kieyaamudien's UK visa applications continue to be rejected. The couple, who married in March 2026, have been forced to live in separate countries, with Kieyaamudien, 34, originally from Cape Town, South Africa, having been refused three visitor visa applications and one fiancé visa application prior to their marriage.
Financial requirement blocks spouse visa
Rachel, a nail technician and mother of three, does not currently meet the UK spouse visa financial requirement, which demands a minimum income of £29,000 per year. Kieyaamudien's finances were also found to be 'insufficient'. The rejection letters cite his financial circumstances as a key factor, alongside concerns that he does not have "an incentive" to return to his home country.
The couple met while Rachel was on holiday in Turkey in August 2024, where Kieyaamudien was working as a singer in a hotel. Their relationship grew after they exchanged numbers, and a surprise pregnancy followed. Rachel said: "We didn't plan to have a baby so soon, we'd always imagined getting married first. But life doesn't always go to plan."
Missed milestones and costly applications
Emersyn only sees her father on FaceTime calls and occasional trips to visit him. Rachel said: "He's missed so many firsts – her first laugh, first foods, first crawl and instead has had to watch them through videos and FaceTime." One visitor visa application was for Kieyaamudien to be present at the birth, but it was refused because the Home Office was not satisfied he would return to his home country.
The couple have spent well over £7,000 on visa fees, legal advice, travel and supporting documents. Rachel said: "Every application costs thousands of pounds... To lose that amount of money after the application was refused was absolutely devastating." Kieyaamudien has since moved to Spain for seasonal work to be closer to his family, and they have managed four visits so far, though visits are now on hold while they save for another application.
Campaign for family reunification
Rachel has shared their story on TikTok, where posts have garnered 1.4 million views, and she has heard from many others in similar situations. The family is now saving for another spouse visa application with the support of a specialist immigration solicitor. Rachel said: "We're hoping that our circumstances, including our right to family life and the fact we have a British daughter together, will be properly taken into account."
The Home Office said it does not routinely comment on individual cases, and that all visa applications are carefully considered on their individual merits, in line with the Immigration rules and based on the information and evidence provided by the applicant.
