A Bangladeshi woman based in the US has won her visa battle to visit her ill daughter based in Britain after the UK Home Office overturned an original decision to overturn her visa.
Fateha Begum, a 61-year-old who divides her time between the US and Bangladesh, had applied for a visa to visit her London-based daughter Tunazzina Nizu, who is suffering from ovarian cancer.
However, she was initially refused the visa on the grounds that her request was not seen as genuine.
After media reports highlighted her case, Begum received a letter from the UK Home Office this week confirming that they had “exceptionally overturned” the decision.
Nizu, who lives in east London with her husband and two young children, and is currently in hospital after two unsuccessful rounds of chemotherapy.
She is due to begin radiotherapy, but that has been delayed because of a failed kidney.
“I’m so happy. My mum is going to come next week. I spoke to her this morning and she was very happy – crying with happiness. It was really hard when I thought I wouldn’t see her,” she said.
The UK Home Office said Begum’s application had been refused because it did not meet requirements but the decision was reviewed on compassionate grounds.