A 70-year-old British grandmother remains separated from her Moroccan husband who is 24 years younger, after he twice failed the English language test required for a UK spouse visa – failures the couple attribute to his dyslexia.
Karen Aghzzaf, from Blackpool, Lancashire, met Brahim, 46, on Facebook in July 2015 whilst she was living in Castleford, Yorkshire, and he was residing in Khemisset, Morocco. Despite initial scepticism from others who “thought he was with me for my money or citizenship” due to their significant age gap, the couple married in November 2017.
Eight years after their wedding, the couple remain 2,107 miles apart, with Brahim unable to join his wife in the UK after failing the mandatory English language test on two occasions – once in January 2021 and again in July of the same year. The couple maintain that Brahim’s dyslexia is the reason for his failures, and they are desperately seeking an exemption from the Home Office.
Age Gap Raises Eyebrows
Brahim is merely five years older than Karen’s eldest son, Dominic, 41, a taxi driver, and 14 years older than her other son Jordan, who works as a charity shop volunteer. Despite the unconventional age difference, Karen says her sons get along with Brahim “like a house on fire.”
The grandmother of three children aged four, 12 and 15, admits people initially questioned the relationship’s authenticity. However, she insists their connection is genuine, describing how they “instantly hit it off” when they first connected online, bonding over their mutual love for Spain through Facebook Messenger.
“I’m not stupid – Brahim wants to work, he wants to take care of me, and I deserve to have my husband living with me,” Karen stated firmly, defending their relationship against doubters.
Facebook Romance Leads to Marriage
The unlikely romance began in July 2015 when Karen received a friend request from Brahim after purchasing a new mobile phone. What started as casual online conversation quickly developed into something deeper, with Brahim inviting her to Morocco a year later.
Karen spent £600 on a hotel in Marrakesh and £300 on flights from Manchester Airport for their first face-to-face meeting in July 2016. “He made a lot of me when we met in person,” she recalled. “It felt like something different – an adventure. He was just so nice and thoughtful.”
The chemistry was so strong that Karen returned to visit him and his family just five months later. After two years of dating, Brahim proposed in May 2017, and the couple tied the knot at a registry office in Ouarzazate, Morocco, in November that year.
Visa Nightmare Begins
Following their marriage, the couple began the complex process of obtaining a spouse visa to enable Brahim to move to the UK. Karen described the initial paperwork as “a bloody carry-on in itself,” requiring extensive documentation and communication with the British Embassy.
“We thought there would be less red tape once we were actually married,” Karen explained, but their optimism proved misplaced.
The couple initially discussed Karen relocating to Morocco, with Brahim suggesting they move near the Atlas Mountains. However, Karen ultimately decided against it, stating: “I love my home, I couldn’t have done that.”
English Test Requirements Prove Insurmountable
Under current UK immigration rules, spouse visa applicants must pass an approved English language test at a minimum level of A1 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) scale. This tests basic communication skills in speaking and listening.
When COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, Brahim took the test on 17 January 2021 but failed. He retook it on 18 July 2021 and failed again, meaning the visa could not be approved. Test results are only valid for two years, adding time pressure to the couple’s predicament.
Karen maintains she has petitioned the Home Office, highlighting Brahim’s dyslexia diagnosis and providing medical documentation from Morocco. However, the couple remain no closer to living together eight years after their wedding.
Dyslexia and English Test Exemptions
While the Home Office does recognise certain medical conditions as grounds for exemption from the English language requirement, the criteria are stringent. According to current guidance, exemptions may apply if an applicant has:
- A mental condition diagnosed by a medical professional that prevents them from speaking or learning English to the required standard
- A long-term physical condition that stops them from learning English
- A speech impediment that makes talking difficult
However, immigration experts note that dyslexia alone does not automatically qualify for exemption. The Home Office exercises discretion on a case-by-case basis, considering how the condition specifically prevents the applicant from meeting the requirement. Recent 2025 guidance has introduced even stricter verification requirements, with generic medical letters no longer meeting exemption thresholds.
Health Crisis Adds Urgency
The separation has become increasingly difficult since Karen was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in July 2019, shortly after she last saw Brahim in person. The couple have not been together for over five years.
“I do feel like it’s a race against time because I’m really suffering with it,” Karen revealed. “To be honest, I want my husband here to help me get through it – and he’s struggling too, being without me.”
Her deteriorating health adds urgency to their visa battle, as she requires care and support that her husband desperately wants to provide.
Emotional Toll on Both Partners
The prolonged separation has taken a severe emotional toll on both partners. Brahim, speaking from Morocco, expressed his anguish: “I feel so lost – and so much loneliness. I really miss her and I just want to be with her.”
We haven’t seen each other for over five years – in all that time, we’ve not been together and it’s really hard for me,” he continued. “I’m just waiting for the day that I can see her again, live with her and spend the rest of my life with her.”
Karen noted that the repeated test failures and visa rejections have severely impacted Brahim’s confidence: “He’s lost so much confidence because of all this.”
Seeking Home Office Exception
The couple continue to fight for an exemption based on Brahim’s dyslexia, arguing that his learning disability makes it unreasonable to expect him to pass the English test. Immigration law experts suggest that successful exemption cases typically require comprehensive medical evidence demonstrating that the condition permanently prevents language acquisition, not just makes it more difficult.
The Home Office has been contacted for comment regarding their policy on dyslexia exemptions for spouse visa English requirements.
As Karen and Brahim’s case demonstrates, the strict English language requirements for UK spouse visas can create insurmountable barriers for genuine couples, particularly when learning disabilities are involved. Eight years after saying “I do,” this couple remains separated by bureaucracy and 2,107 miles, with no clear path to reunion in sight.
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