SAM Davis couldn’t believe her luck when she met the woman of her dreams on a mobile game app.
The New Zealander, 41, began speaking to her now-ex partner – from Hull in East Yorkshire – while playing Avakin Life.
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Despite the 12,000 miles between them, they developed a strong bond, messaging back and forth before having phone calls and video chats for almost a year.
Sam then came to Britain for a six month visit and everything seemed perfect.
On her return to New Zealand the pair began planning their wedding while arranging for Sam’s bride-to-be to act as a sponsor for her spousal visa.
They tied the knot in March 2023 and Sam began her new life in the UK.
BOMBSHELL
However, earlier this year she claims things came to a head.
Sam says her wife dropped a bombshell.
“She decided that she wasn’t gay anymore and didn’t want to be with a woman,” Sam told The Sun.
“She kicked me out and totally abandoned me with nothing.”
Her ex has vehemently disputed these claims, saying the marriage broke down because Sam kept the whole relationship a secret from her family.
In response, Sam said she has had to tiptoe around her sexuality with certain parts of her family but “they knew where I was living and who I was living with”.
Since August, Sam has been staying with friends, and with the separation reported to the Home Office, she’s been informed her visa is now void.
She has until November 30 to leave, as per a letter from the Government department seen by The Sun.
Sam claims at first she was desperate to keep trying with the relationship.
“I wanted to work on the marriage, and she just wanted to end it,” she explained.
“She wants nothing to do with me at all… She’s already starting to file for divorce. She said it’s the only option.”
However, her ex – who we are not naming – said: “I’m absolutely shocked she’s making me look the bad person in this.
“I can’t believe she said I’m not gay. I’m a woman of personality.”
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Referring to the alleged revelation, Sam – whose birth name is Ruth – said: “Initially, it just sort of came out of the blue because of the connection we had online and over the phone and stuff before I came here.
“And then when we were doing the marriage stuff she was right into it as well.
“We’d talked for like a year before I even came over the first time.
“We videoed all the time and talked on the phone and everything.”
Despite their break up, Sam remained living at her ex’s home for several months, until August.
“We went into a discussion about things,” she explained, before her ex allegedly asked her to leave.
“She was like, ‘get out’.”
Sam said she’s been staying at a couple of different people’s homes.
“I try and spread it around a bit so that I’m not a burden on people.
“Without my friends I don’t know where I’d be because I don’t know this country very well.”
Sam is struggling to find work due to the looming deportation date.
“You get 60 days once the Home Office is informed,” she said.
Back in New Zealand she had lived with a friend before moving back in with her parents while she arranged the wedding and visa.
However, her ex said the marriage broke down because Sam “kept me secret from her family back in New Zealand, she didn’t tell them about our relationship”.
She said: “My family all accepted us…her family think she came here to work. Me and my disabled son don’t even exist to her family.”
She added she “paid for everything” with Sam out of work.
“I didn’t wish to evict her, she went to stay with friends of mine because she refused to let her family know the truth.”
She said: “I questioned my sexuality in the beginning, but all I knew is I loved her, and thought it was personality I went for and that’s what I think and know today.”
BUILDING A LIFE
Sam went on to say: “I really hope I don’t have to go back (to New Zealand) because I’m building a life here in the UK.”
But with her looming deportation date, she’s been struggling to find permanent work, which could be an avenue to get sponsored to stay.
She said: “When people look at my situation they just think oh, well, she’s only got until next month. We don’t want to hire her.”
She added: “I don’t know where else to turn.”
How do spousal visas work?
Here is the Government’s official guidance on marriage visas:
To apply as a partner, you and your partner both need to be 18 or over.
Your partner must also either:
- be a British or Irish citizen
- have settled in the UK – for example, they have indefinite leave to remain, settled status or proof of permanent residence
- be from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and have pre-settled status – they must have started living in the UK before 1 January 2021
- have a Turkish Businessperson visa or Turkish Worker visa
- have protection status (leave to remain as a refugee, permission to stay as a refugee or a person with humanitarian protection)
- have permission to stay as a stateless person
You and your partner must intend to live together permanently in the UK after you apply.
You must be able to prove one of the following:
- you’re in a civil partnership or marriage that’s recognised in the UK
- you’ve been living together in a relationship for at least 2 years when you apply
- you are a fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner and will marry or enter into a civil partnership in the UK within 6 months of arriving
- you’ve been in a relationship for at least 2 years when you apply but you cannot live together, for example because you’re working or studying in different places, or it’s not accepted in your culture
Find out more here
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