Welcome to UK Buddy – Your Trusted Guide to Living, Studying, and Working in the UK

  --- Suspended From Work While Waiting for UK Visa Renewal: A True Story That Will Shock You 🇬🇧 You won’t believe how fast things can turn upside down when you’re on a visa in the UK. One ordinary morning, a lady went to work, sat at her desk, typed in her login… and nothing worked. Her system was locked. Completely blocked. No warning. No message. Minutes later, she checked her phone and saw an email that made her heart race. Her employer claimed her visa had expired. They demanded immediate proof of her right to work. But she didn’t panic — because she had already submitted her spouse-visa renewal before it expired. In fact, the process was stressful: the payment kept failing, her bank flagged the transaction as fraud, and she had to retry several times. But she pushed through, and the application finally went through on time. This meant one thing: 👉 She was still legally allowed to work under Section 3C of the Immigration Act 1971. The issue? Her BRP card had expired, so she...

  --- 🌧️ “Eight Years in the Waiting Room: Life, Loneliness, and the Mental Health Cost of the UK’s 10-Year Route” 1. Introduction — A Life Built on Uncertainty The 10-year route to settlement in the UK is often described as a pathway of resilience, but for many migrants, it feels like living in a waiting room with no clear end in sight. Studies show that prolonged visa insecurity significantly increases anxiety, depression, and a sense of social displacement (Robertson et al., 2023). For years, I told myself that if I just worked hard enough, the UK would eventually feel like home. But eight years later, I am still navigating instability, loneliness, and the fear that everything I’ve built could disappear with a single policy change. This is my story — and the story of many who walk this quiet, exhausting journey. --- 2. Arrival — Hope in a Suitcase I arrived in the UK in late 2017 with a scholarship, a single suitcase, and a heart full of determination. I was 20, wide-eyed, and ...