Bradford, Jan 23 (IANS) A British citizen of Indian origin, who married again in India after his first wife passed away, is in despair because the visa application of his new wife has been rejected three times by British authorities.
Bradford-based Baljit Singh is a widower with a disabled daughter and met his second wife on a trip to India. However, he has been denied the right to bring his bride, Kamaijit Kaur, to this country on the ground that his latest marriage is a sham.
Singh, 54, strongly refutes the charge
Singh lost his first wife, Balbir Mahill, in an apparent suicide after she was diagnosed with cancer in 2000. Since then he has looked after his daughter and elderly mother on his own, working part-time in a shop in Leeds Road, Bradford.
Singh told the local media in Bradford: “I met my wife in India while on a visit. We have been married for three years but it is a very difficult situation. I go to visit her three or four times a year.
“My wife is learning English and is very keen to come here with me. This is a genuine marriage and we love each other very much. I took my daughter to India to meet my wife and they got on very well. She was very kind to her, which is very important.
“I do not know why we are being treated like this. We are human beings. They say they do not believe it is a real marriage because I am 54 and my wife is 32. The age difference is not important to us.”
A Border and Immigration Agency spokesman said: “All applications for entry clearance are considered on their merits and in accordance with the immigration rules. Where a person has been refused a visa on the basis of marriage to a British citizen, there is a full right of appeal against the decision to the independent courts.
“An immigration judge will fully consider all aspects of the case, including any further information not provided on the original application. Where an applicant does not provide all the necessary supporting evidence this will be taken into account when reaching a decision.
“The onus is on applicants to ensure that they provide all the necessary evidence.”