09/07/2025
A dream that began in 2017… and now, it’s finally coming true. 🇬🇧✨
I arrived in the UK in September 2017 on a dependent visa, carrying a heart full of hope, uncertainty, and a quiet dream: One day, I’ll work as a nurse in the UK.
What many don’t know is that one of the main reasons my husband and I chose to live in the UK was because of the NHS—the promise of free treatment that could support me through my cancer journey. We needed a country where healthcare wouldn’t be a burden, where I could fight for my health without worrying how we’d pay for it.
In the midst of all of that, I was still holding on to my dream of becoming a nurse. I worked as a hotel receptionist at a 4-star hotel. It wasn’t nursing, but it gave me confidence and taught me the value of connection and service. After about 8–9 months, we made a big move to Belfast to help with the cost of living.
There, I worked as a senior carer in a nursing home. I told my employer that I was pursuing my dream. Out of my own salary, I paid for my English tests and studied for the CBT on my own. It wasn’t easy especially with everything else going on in my life, yet I pushed through. Finally, in December 2019, I qualified as a nurse. That moment meant everything to me.
In March 2020, we returned to England, and I began my first job as a UK registered nurse-right as the pandemic hit. It was tough, but I felt a deep sense of purpose.
By September of 2022, I was eligible to apply for ILR or permanent residency, but we had other priorities. The cost of applying was high, and life, as always, had its own timing. I chose to wait.
In 2024, I received my Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). And now, a year later, I’m finally ready to apply for British citizenship.
This journey hasn’t been easy. There were challenges, hospital visits, silent tears, and so many moments of doubt, but there was also love, perseverance, faith and a fire inside me that never let go of the dream.
Becoming a British citizen isn’t just a legal step-
It’s the final chapter in a story of survival, healing, and hope.
I’m so incredibly proud of the woman I’ve become, of the battles I’ve fought, of the life we’ve built.
And now… I can’t wait to explore the world with my husband, who is my anchor through it all.
No more visa applications. No more waiting. Just freedom. 🌍✨
Any guesses where in Europe I’ll visit first? 😉