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Hi Mshell! First of all; welcome to the forum!
Secondly I'm sad to say I am not experienced enough yet with (partner) visas to know exactly what all those demands and declarations from Immigration will really mean to you and your partner, and what their concrete consequences would be.
BUT - I'd say the main problem here (on all sides) is a lack of clarity. You don't understand his visa, you don't understand how and when and why it could change, they are demanding things they don't know the details well enough about. Based on just what I just read I'd say you need to achieve clarity before you can solve the problem. And you need to achieve it fast because of the deadline. It's always much harder to see that clearly when you're emotionally involved.
As an employee of a bank - which is not a government institution, but full of bureaucracy and confusing departments all the same - I would advise you to calmly but efficiently try to work out what is going on, who you need to talk to and what they can do for you.
Basically, if I were you I would just start calling Immigration. Not once, not twice, not aggressively or unreasonably. Just demand your clarity - both you and your partner should. Call them and ask them about the visa (not the custody part yet) and try to figure out how the signals could have been so mixed and delayed. If that person can't answer you, ask them to explain their departments to you and who they think you should talk to to get a clearer insight - then talk to that person. If the first person already answers you, nicely ask them to put you through to a colleague who can confirm this as an on-the-spot second opinion. Explain it is not because you don't trust them, but simply because the system seems to have already failed once and you have limited time.
Keep calling until you get someone on the phone who is willing to explain the visa permamence situation black on white officially - someone who is absolutely sure how this happened. Then ask them how to deal with the custody matter - I highly doubt they can punish HIM for his ex-partner not showing up in court. Get a court order, get her in court, if she doesn't show up it will be official that it is not his fault.
In the meanwhile, apply for a different visa. You say you can't support him as a sponsor. Can his employer sponsor him for a work-based visa? Is he still friendly with any of his former in-laws who'd be willing to support him (just to the point of keeping him in the country)?
Get clarity, see if you can get a backup plan, and try to handle the custody part as seperately as possible. They may be connected problems, but you can't solve the custody problem with a visa, you can only solve the visa problem with the custody... so figure one part's options out first, then the next.
That is just coming from someone who sees how departments can screw up between them and cause harm to the customer or citizen involved. Handle it calmly but firmly and get your answers. If it was their fault, you might be able to stretch the time limit, I don't know, but it seems you should at least find out what went wrong.
Oh and WRITE DOWN NAMES with any promise or statement made! This is VITAL!
Best of luck and hang in there!
Secondly I'm sad to say I am not experienced enough yet with (partner) visas to know exactly what all those demands and declarations from Immigration will really mean to you and your partner, and what their concrete consequences would be.
BUT - I'd say the main problem here (on all sides) is a lack of clarity. You don't understand his visa, you don't understand how and when and why it could change, they are demanding things they don't know the details well enough about. Based on just what I just read I'd say you need to achieve clarity before you can solve the problem. And you need to achieve it fast because of the deadline. It's always much harder to see that clearly when you're emotionally involved.
As an employee of a bank - which is not a government institution, but full of bureaucracy and confusing departments all the same - I would advise you to calmly but efficiently try to work out what is going on, who you need to talk to and what they can do for you.
Basically, if I were you I would just start calling Immigration. Not once, not twice, not aggressively or unreasonably. Just demand your clarity - both you and your partner should. Call them and ask them about the visa (not the custody part yet) and try to figure out how the signals could have been so mixed and delayed. If that person can't answer you, ask them to explain their departments to you and who they think you should talk to to get a clearer insight - then talk to that person. If the first person already answers you, nicely ask them to put you through to a colleague who can confirm this as an on-the-spot second opinion. Explain it is not because you don't trust them, but simply because the system seems to have already failed once and you have limited time.
Keep calling until you get someone on the phone who is willing to explain the visa permamence situation black on white officially - someone who is absolutely sure how this happened. Then ask them how to deal with the custody matter - I highly doubt they can punish HIM for his ex-partner not showing up in court. Get a court order, get her in court, if she doesn't show up it will be official that it is not his fault.
In the meanwhile, apply for a different visa. You say you can't support him as a sponsor. Can his employer sponsor him for a work-based visa? Is he still friendly with any of his former in-laws who'd be willing to support him (just to the point of keeping him in the country)?
Get clarity, see if you can get a backup plan, and try to handle the custody part as seperately as possible. They may be connected problems, but you can't solve the custody problem with a visa, you can only solve the visa problem with the custody... so figure one part's options out first, then the next.
That is just coming from someone who sees how departments can screw up between them and cause harm to the customer or citizen involved. Handle it calmly but firmly and get your answers. If it was their fault, you might be able to stretch the time limit, I don't know, but it seems you should at least find out what went wrong.
Oh and WRITE DOWN NAMES with any promise or statement made! This is VITAL!
Best of luck and hang in there!
