A Dutch widower living near London with his British daughter is in a “state of disbelief” after the Home Office incorrectly told him he had to leave the UK within two months.
A letter was sent to research scientist Bobby Stuijfzand earlier this month informing him that he had to leave the country by August because his skilled migrant visa had been cancelled.
But Mr Stuijfzand, 39, had switched to a family visa 18 months prior, being the father of his six-year-old British daughter Malou, and can legally remain in the UK.
He moved to England from Switzerland in 2021 so his daughter could be close to her relatives after his English wife died of cancer. He had previously lived in the UK for five years.
“I have two months this summer to pack up, leave my job, find my daughter a new school in the Netherlands and cross the North Sea,” he wrote on Twitter following the botch-up.
The Home Office confirmed to the Standard on Tuesday that the error has since been fixed, but Mr Stuijfzand is still waiting for the Home Office to contact him directly.
“I don’t think I’ll be very rested until I’ve received that confirmation,” he told the Standard.
“The least they could have done is…give me a ring. It’s not a lot of peace of mind.”
The principal research adviser was sponsored by his employer, Behavioural Insights Team, as a skilled migrant so he could return in 2021 with his daughter.
But he switched from the skilled migrant visa to a parent visa 18 months before the Home Office wrote to him.
He still works for the Behavioural Insights Team but his skilled migrant visa has ended, as he no longer needs it to legally live in the UK.
Mr Stuijfzand believes this caused confusion with the Home Office.
“We are finally finding our feet and then get such an arbitrary [letter] with potentially really life changing consequences, and it just takes away a sense of security and calmness around your life,” he told the Standard.
“My head is all over the place.”
The “threatening” Home Office letter said Mr Stuijfzand had two months to either leave the UK or make another application to stay, otherwise he faced possible deportation, imprisonment and prosecution.
After speaking with an immigration lawyer Mr Stuijfzand filed an error correction within the two-week window provided.
“My mind was already setting up for ‘maybe I have to say goodbye here’,” he said.
“But I think on the [other hand], I felt quite ready to fight this. I wasn’t packing any bags yet let’s put it that way.”
Mr Stuijfzand said the correction process is extremely unclear and may be financially unviable for some.
“It’s quite obscure how you need to respond, and then the tone of the letter is very threatening.
“A solicitor told me there are certain procedures that can still allow you to legally challenge it. But the letter suggests there’s no way to legally challenge it.
“You have to have your wits about you to believe it’s an error, because they don’t give you any suggestion it might be an error in the first place.”
Mr Stuijfzand said he initially thought the letter was a scam because of spelling mistakes.
He is still waiting for direct communication from the Home Office to confirm that he can stay in the UK, despite the department confirming it had issued a retraction to reporters.
“I’m happy to play by the rules [but] you need to set up the system so that you can hold the system accountable if they make an error.
“The way [the Home Office is] doing that right now is just not fit for purpose.”
A Home Office spokesperson told the Standard: “Unfortunately a visa cancellation letter was issued to Dr Stuijfzand in error.
“We have issued a retraction, and we apologise for any inconvenience this has caused him and his family.”
