Devon man's £88,000 bid to overcome Brexit 'heartache' to be with partner

Nathaniel Bacchus, 24, from Devon, and Karin Kohlmetz, 26, from Denmark, said they were 'longing to connect again' and were 'broken up' by being apart

A young couple torn apart by Brexit "heartache" are appealing to the public's generosity in a bid to raise over £88,000, which would allow them to unite despite sky-high UK visa expenses. Nathaniel Bacchus, a 24 year old from Ipplepen, Devon, and his girlfriend Karin Kohlmetz, 26, from Esbjerg, Denmark, originally connected through a common Discord server in May 2022.

As they struck up conversations with friends on the internet, their bond began to intensify. Following half a year of online correspondence, the relationship took a meaningful turn, prompting Nathaniel to travel to Denmark in November 2022 for what they called a "surreal" first-time face-to-face meeting.

Since then, the young couple have managed several visits between the UK and Denmark. Now they are envisioning a future together: marriage and family life, with Karin hoping to secure a spouse or partner visa to relocate to the UK.

Nevertheless, the financial requirements for such visas surged to a £29,000 salary threshold earlier this year, presenting a hurdle for Nathaniel, who had to leave a longstanding job at Co-op supermarket due to a lack of career advancement.

Having thrown himself back into education to get his English GCSE, Nathaniel aims to secure better employment. Unfortunately, until then, the lovebirds must show they have £88,500 in savings to proceed with the visa application.

They've since established a GoFundMe page, reaching out for support in their time of need. Speaking to PA Real Life, Nathaniel expressed his frustration about the revisions to the spouse visa policy: "It just seems to be being pushed further and further out of reach for an everyday, ordinary couple.

"When the Brexit vote was happening, I was 16 so I didn't get the chance to have a say on something which has completely affected my future."

Karin, who is in the midst of a three-year visual communication programme at Denmark's University of UC SYD, shared her emotional turmoil: "It's like having your heart in two different places because you're just longing to connect again.

"When you go back home, you have to deal with the heartache while also being present in your own life on the inside you're broken up and in complete remorse, it's almost like you're grieving, but you have to get on with it."

As per the latest guidelines on the UK Government website, the income threshold required to sponsor a spouse or partner visa has increased from £18,600 to £29,000 as of April this year. The limit was expected to rise to £34,500 later in 2024 and further to £38,700 by early 2025 but it is understood that these hikes will now be paused pending an independent review, expected to last a few months.

With Nathaniel not in a job that meets the new salary requirements and both committed to living together in the UK, the couple must depend on savings for Karin's visa application.

The UK Government's official site outlines that a couple without sufficient earnings require a substantial savings sum of £88,500 to demonstrate self-sufficiency. The duo explained that this amount is likely to drop once Nathaniel begins earning a regular salary, which would be factored into the sum required, and they plan to adjust their fundraising goal accordingly.

"I've asked so many people who do really well financially what they earn and they've been working for years and years in the same company and have not made that amount of money," Nathaniel revealed.

Karin added: "We had a call with an immigration lawyer and it's getting harder and harder because of Brexit. The £88,000 is just a ridiculous amount of money and I don't know how people get through with it."

Nathaniel and Karin's romance blossomed after they connected on a Discord server in May 2022, joining forces in video games and conversations within their shared online circle before discovering a special spark between them.

"We just hit it off very well, we had the same interests and there was a lot of flirtation early on," Karin recounted. "We would talk with other people on the call but eventually we moved onto private calls because I think we just clicked in a different way."

Nathaniel took a leap of faith and flew to Denmark in November 2022 to meet Karin for the very first time, initially planning a three-week visit which he extended to around two months before returning home in January.

"It was surreal, I'm not the biggest traveller but as soon as I saw Karin, all the worries and anxieties just went away," he shared.

Karin reflected on their meeting: "It was completely different being together in person but different in the best way possible."

Since that first encounter, the couple have managed several visits between the UK and Denmark, finding farewells increasingly difficult each time.

"It never gets easier and we know we'll see each other again but it's hard and it feels horrible," Karin expressed. "You're so used to being attached to the hip with this person and then they're just gone."

Nathaniel continued: "After we finish our days, we both immediately call each other we go to bed together on the same call and we wake up together on the same call. We spend as much time as we can together."

Looking ahead, the couple are eager to start their life together, with plans for Karin to apply for a spouse or partner visa in the UK. They face the challenge of needing £88,500 in savings to meet visa requirements. They've set up a GoFundMe page to assist with the costs, but they must wait three years for Karin to complete her university degree before they can make any solid plans.

"We have our three-year time frame but I also have a biological clock it's hard," Karin expressed.

Nathaniel shared: "We don't have the privilege of having the conversations of trying for a kid or getting married because it seems so far out of reach for us right now."

Their guidance for others in similar situations is simple: "Be patient".

Karin elaborated: "One of the things a long-distance relationship teaches you is patience and taking one day at a time. You have to be in it together and you have to be very open and transparent."

Nathaniel encouraged perseverance, saying: "Don't give up and have that level of patience, there's going to be challenges and complexities but you'll get there."

A Home Office spokesperson commented on the visa process: "The minimum income requirement for family visas needs to balance a respect for family life while also maintaining the UK's economic stability. To help ensure we reach the right balance, we are pausing further changes to the requirement while the Migration Advisory Committee conducts an independent review."

The spokesperson also noted, "In cases where refusing a visa would cause unfair or harsh outcomes for the applicant or their family, permission can still be granted based on exceptional circumstances."

For more information or to support their journey, visit their GoFundMe page at gofundme.com/f/projectcominghome