The case study below illustrates some of the assistance we provide:

Gemma is a South African national visiting her sister in the UK on a 6 month visit visa.

Gemma has many medical conditions, including 2 forms of skin cancer, of which she has been informed by medical professionals she will not recover from.

Gemma came to the UK in December 2019 and was staying with her sister, Betty, and Bettys husband.

During Gemmas stay, she had to flee with her sister from Bettys husband due to violent and abusive behaviour. They were both put up in a hotel as temporary accommodation by the local council.

This traumatic event triggered Gemmas health issues to take a turn for the worse. She was bed ridden, her condition worsened, and she was in a lot of pain. Her sister was caring for her, but her visit visa was soon to expire.

Due to Covid19, Gemma was able to get an extension on her visit visa until 31-07-20 and then grace period until 31st August, however, that did not solve her problem.

Betty contacted GYROS and informed us that Gemma was experiencing abuse from the man looking after her in South Africa, and now that Gemma was in an even more vulnerable state, sending her back there would be inhumane. She explained it would be sending her back bedridden and helpless to be abused until she died.

The most preferable option for Gemma to stay in the UK legally is to have limited leave to remain as an adult dependent family member under section 276ADE of the immigration rules. This route would allow Gemma to stay under the care of her sister. This is considered as a complex immigration case and involves consideration of EC Human Rights and therefore, could have been taken by either Immigration solicitors or by at least OISC Level 2 Immigration advisers. Neither Gemma nor Betty could afford immigration solicitors fees, so they asked GYROS to take the case on.

GYROS took the case on. GYROS trainee OISC Level 2 adviser is supporting Gemma in submitting the Fee waiver to begin the application under the supervision of the fully qualified OISC Level 2 adviser. Once fee waiver is issued, the full application will be submitted accordingly.

Both Gemma and Betty are feeling a lot more confident and assured of the future now that they have a plan and support for Gemma, who is currently receiving palliative care in hospital.

Were it not for GYROS, Gemma would not have been able to apply to regularise her further stay in the UK, which would affect her current health condition adversely even more and she would have been facing an extremely difficult decision overstay her current leave or somehow (practically almost impossible) return to her abuser in South Africa.