Help Keep My Family Together – UK Visa Expenses

Hello friends and family,

As a lot of you know me, I'm Ahmed, a Palestinian living and studying in Glasgow since 2019 along with my family.

My journey in Scotland began with me coming here with my family a few months before the pandemic when my dad secured a two-year contract as a full-time researcher with the University of Glasgow on a Global Talent visa. Our journey has been filled with hope, opportunity, and milestones, but now we face a critical challenge.

Our ability to stay in the UK is now in jeopardy. In June this year, we need to pay for our Indefinite Leave to Remain visa applications to the Home Office, each costing £2,885. A total of over £18,000 for the six of us.

I've been working part-time at a restaurant to support my family while pursuing my software engineering apprenticeship, and my sister is juggling full-time education and international fees with her part-time job. My two little sisters are in high and primary school, respectively.

Our initial plan to cover the staggering 18 grand for our visa applications was to sell our house back home, which would have got us around £50,000. However, since the war broke out last October, this plan fell through as our house, which is only at a walking distance from Al Shifa Medical Complex, has been severely damaged, rendering it unsellable (especially during a war), and leaving us in a very sticky situation.

[Living room of our damaged house, as of Feb 29th]

[Kitchen of our damaged house, as of Feb 29th]

[Building facade, as of Feb 29th]

This has left me with no choice but to turn to this fundraiser. We've managed to save just a little under £10K (this includes the UofG staff ILR reimbursement for dad), but need help with the rest. Every contribution, no matter how small, will bring me a step closer to securing my future in Scotland with my family where we have lived and built a community for the past 5 years.

Here is a cost breakdown of the fundraiser amount:

• Indefinite Leave to Remain visa application: £2,885 x 3 = £8,655

• Immigration lawyer fee: £600

• GoFundMe platform fee (2.9%): £268

A total of £9,523.

Your support means the world to me. Please consider donating and sharing this fundraiser within your network.

Thank you for taking the time to read this!