"My Children Ask When I’m Coming Home": Sri Lankan Mum of 3 in UK Opens up on Family Separation
- Nisansala Maduwanthi, 42, left her husband and three young children in Sri Lanka when she moved to the UK in October 2024 on a Health and Care Worker visa.
- The ex-teacher spoke exclusively with Legit.ng, revealing that she made the decision because she believed working in the UK would improve her family’s financial security and allow them to build a life together.
- She now fears that changes to immigration rules and the possibility of a longer settlement wait could prolong her separation from her family.
PAY ATTENTION: Find it fast with our new search feature at Legit.ng!
For Nisansala Maduwanthi, moving to the UK was never simply about getting a job abroad.
The 42-year-old Sri Lankan had already worked as a teacher and carer in her home country before travelling to Britain in October 2024 on a Health and Care Worker visa.
Source: Getty Images
She made the journey alone, leaving her husband and three children in Sri Lanka as she sought better financial prospects for the family.
Maduwanthi told Legit.ng that she understood before travelling that the Health and Care Worker route could lead to settlement after five years if she met the requirements.
She said her family made significant preparations based on that understanding, including selling their car and other belongings to raise money for agency fees and other costs.
Why she left her family behind
Maduwanthi said her main motivation for moving to Britain was to provide greater financial security for her husband and children.
She already had experience in care work in Sri Lanka, including supporting elderly people and helping people with their daily needs.
Source: Original
“I did not leave them because I wanted to be away from them,” she said. “I left because I believed I was making a temporary sacrifice for their future.”
Her husband remained in Sri Lanka to care for their children while she began working in the UK.
She expected a five-year path to UK settlement
Before travelling, Maduwanthi said she understood that she could potentially qualify for settlement after five years if she continued meeting the relevant requirements.
“I believed that I would come to the UK, work for five years, and eventually be able to build a life here with my husband and children,” she said.
She said the family made financial and personal plans around that expectation.
However, Maduwanthi stated that she later became aware of changes affecting dependants of care workers after she had already committed to the move.
She added that the development left her uncertain about when, or whether, her family would be able to join her in Britain.
UK care worker stresses impact of family separation
Maduwanthi said she maintains regular contact with her husband and children through phone and video calls.
However, she said the arrangement has limitations.
“A phone screen cannot replace being physically present with your children,” she said.
She said she misses ordinary family experiences, including eating together, caring for her children and being present in their daily lives.
Her children, she said, sometimes ask when the family will be together again.
“That is one of the hardest questions for me to answer,” she said.
Why a longer settlement wait worries her
Maduwanthi said the potential impact of a longer settlement period is particularly significant for migrants who came to Britain without their families.
She acknowledged that immigration uncertainty can affect many migrants, but said those who relocated with their spouses and children can at least experience family life together while working towards settlement.
“People like me who came alone have already paid a very high personal price,” she said.
According to her, extending the settlement timeline could mean that people who made plans under an earlier understanding of the immigration system remain separated from their families for longer.
UK care worker reveals she came prepared to work
Maduwanthi said she does not regard her move to Britain as an attempt to obtain benefits without contributing.
She had worked in Sri Lanka before moving and said she came to Britain to work in the care sector while supporting her family.
“I did not come here expecting anything for free. I came prepared to work hard and contribute,” she said.
She said the uncertainty has therefore made her question how long the sacrifice she made will continue.
UK care worker's worry about changing immigration rules
For Maduwanthi, the settlement debate has a direct effect on her family life.
“The possibility of moving from a five-year settlement expectation to a much longer period is therefore extremely painful for me,” she said.
She said she came to Britain believing that working legally and following the immigration rules would eventually give her family an opportunity to live together.
“For me, this is not simply about an immigration number or a visa,” she said.
“It is about whether a mother who made an enormous sacrifice to come and work in the UK will ever have the chance to live normally with her children and husband after doing what she believed was required of her.”
In a related story, Legit.ng reported that the UK had published six conditions that foreigners must meet to qualify for its Health and Care Worker visa.
Occupations eligible for UK Health and Care Worker visa
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the UK had listed 31 occupations that qualify for its Health and Care Worker visa.
According to guidance published on the UK government's official website, applicants must be qualified doctors, nurses, health professionals, or adult social care professionals whose roles are covered by the visa.
They must also secure employment with a UK health and care employer that has received Home Office approval, and their salary must meet either the minimum threshold or the standard "going rate" for their occupation, whichever is higher.
Source: Legit.ng
