A pensioner from Onchan is appealing for his wife to be allowed to remain in the island.

Kenny Freestone married Ramat Aun-Choo in 2017 and at present they have to return to Thailand every six months to update her two-year visa.

The couple met through a friend of Mr Freestone when his wife-to-be was visiting her daughter and grandchildren who live in the island.

He said: ’It isn’t like my wife has no other family here. She has a daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren who were both born here. Ramat is no liability on the taxpayer, I pay for everything and she helps look after me too.’

Mr Freestone, who is in his early 70s and worked for the government for more 40 years as a port officer, said that he had been unable to secure a permanent stay in the island for his wife despite her speaking English and being granted a bank account and tax number.

Mrs Freestone, who is in her 50s, told the Examiner: ’I can go to the shops with no problem and I like living here. It’s a good life.’

Her husband said that the ’living in’ test does not test for basic English or for life in the island. He added that the hardest part of the current situation was having to travel to Thailand twice a year.

He said: ’It is getting harder to travel over all that way. It turns into over a day of travel and I’m not getting younger. It just seems mad. We’re not looking to cost the taxpayer money, we’re just looking to make it easier for Ramat to be here with all of us.’

Applications for naturalisation or registration as a British citizen are considered under the provisions of the British Nationality Act 1981.

The decision is at the discretion of the Lieutenant Governor and is based on statutory criteria such as residence, language, knowledge of life in the UK and islands and good character.

The requirements include but are not limited to: meeting the required residential requirements for your application type; satisfying the good character requirement; satisfying the English speaking and listening requirements; satisfying the knowledge of life in the United Kingdom and islands requirement; demonstrating that the applicant intends to have their home in the Isle of Man/British Isles.

A government spokesman told the Examiner: ’We have set out the process for people wishing to apply for settlement in the Isle of Man on our website and this includes the weblink to the UK visas and immigration website to where applicants must apply.

’Even if an applicant does not meet all the requirements as set out there may be certain exemptions that can apply.

’However, no one can use a visit visa as a mechanism to set up home.

’Applicants should follow the correct process otherwise it could affect the process going forwards.’