AN Army veteran claims he has been forced back on to medication and signed off work because his Thai wife is unable to enter the country.

Simon and Tipnaree Nurse married in January and secured a visa for Tipnaree, who works as an architect, to move to the UK in July.

She was unable to move on time due to work commitments, so the couple applied for a ‘vignette transfer’ to switch the date to September.

The process which should take no more than 15 working days but more than two months later the couple are still waiting for her passport to be returned and the transfer granted.

Simon, who was deployed on operations in the Falkland Islands, Afghanistan and Iraq when he was in the Forces, says his wife has been huge in helping him with the mental health problems he has been living with since leaving the Army.

The Braintree man said: “She quite literally saved my life and we speak every single day via video call, often for hours at a time.

“We married back in January and she makes me feel like the luckiest man alive.

“The anger and pain I feel about being kept apart from my loving wife, for no good or even explained reason, is unbearable and my slide back into very poor mental health continues.

“It feels like we are very much just a number to UK Visas and Immigration – a case number in a big pile of work.

“The human cost of such an inexplicable delay has however been very real and severe. My mental health has deteriorated enormously and I am currently unable to work – it looks like I may lose my job as a result.”

The couple say they have complained to the Home Office twice and approached MP James Cleverly for help.

The Home Office said Tipnaree was told in August her application was progressing, but would miss the 15-day deadline.

A spokesman said: “We have been in touch with Mrs Nurse to advise that a decision has been made on her case and her passport is ready for collection.

“The service level for straightforward ‘vignette transfer’ cases is 15 working days, but applications which require further checks may take longer.”