She's married, runs a shop in Afflecks and is happier in Manchester than she ever has been - but is being told to leave

Erin Taylor-Thomas is losing her American accent.

There is still a flavour of her Tennessee drawl there, but alongside it is a decidedly English - even northern - lilt fighting to be heard. That’s because Erin hasn’t lived in the US for more than seven years.

In the intervening years, she’s settled down in Withington with British husband Ethan, and started a successful business inside Affleck’s Palace.

READ MORE: ‘I’ve spent seven years here, got married and built a business - now I could lose it all’

Meeting her in person at her riotously colourful thrift shop, Beg, Steal and Borrow, she is as friendly and bubbly as her decor is bright. But even her cheerful demeanour dampens when discussing the news she had just received – that her visa had been denied by the Home Office, after seven years in the UK.

Last week, the Manchester Evening News reported on Erin’s situation. Upon discovering that her spousal visa had expired in April of this year, she immediately applied for a new type of residency – only to discover that she had applied for the wrong type.

When that was denied, she applied again for ‘leave to remain’ through her husband – but found out in mid October that this too had been denied.

Erin is in the process of appealing this latest decision and estimates that the whole process will end up costing the couple almost £10,000. They have also notified their local MP for Withington, Jeff Smith, who they said had expressed support and asked to be ‘kept up to date’ with their situation.

When approached for comment, a spokesperson for Mr Smith said: “Jeff is supporting Ms Taylor-Thomas with her enquiry, but we don’t generally comment on the detail of individual casework issues."

Now, Erin’s friends and family have spoken of the happy life Erin has built together with her husband in Manchester – and of the ‘huge hole’ it would leave in the local community if she were forced to leave.

'She absolutely loves Manchester'

Erin’s mum, Lilian Presson, said she had been “stunned” when Erin asked to go to university in the UK but that since then, she had been happier than she had “ever known her to be”.

“She has struggled to fit in here [USA] because she is artsy, and just thinks different than her peers here. The south of the US is not as open minded as Manchester or London,” Lilian told the Manchester Evening News.

“Erin absolutely loves Manchester. She has a large circle of friends and she talks to so many people who know her while we walk down the streets on our visits. We are concerned about her mental health, should she have to leave her husband, friends, and everything she has worked to build in her life while in the UK.”

Lilian added that it would not be smooth sailing financially if Erin were to be forced to return to the US. “The assumption that we can just take care of all her financial needs upon her return is hard to fathom,” she said.

“The expense of getting her back includes not only flights, but also having to buy her a car, because one cannot work in the US unless you drive. As a mother, I would love to have Erin nearby, but also as her mother, I know that she has found happiness in Manchester and that is far more important.

“We are praying that this situation be corrected quickly so Erin may continue building the incredible life she has found in Manchester.”

Fashion content creator Lucy Jane, who helps Erin out in her Afflecks store, spoke of what a loss it would be if Erin were forced to leave.

“If Erin wasn’t here, there would be a huge hole in the community in Manchester, and I know there would be so many people upset to see her or the shop go,” said Lucy.

“She’s the heart of a beautiful community in Manchester, one she’s created all by herself without even realising. A space where everyone feels welcome, seen and safe which in this current world is so rare.”

Friend Paige, who has known Erin for over five years, said she had been a “huge part” of her life. “We’re like family, and this country is Erin’s home just as much as it is mine. Without her, it simply wouldn’t feel like home. I honestly think if she leaves, I’ll leave,” she told the M.E.N.

Paige said that the impact Erin had on her local community was “profound”. “She has built a strong and supportive network, especially within the LGBTQ+ community, where she’s a well-known advocate and friend,” she said. “Her genuine energy and passion have created a welcoming and inclusive space that would be deeply missed in Manchester.

“The love Erin and Ethan share is so beautiful, and it would be heart-breaking to see that change. I genuinely can’t imagine what things would be like without them together and having to deal with something so heart-breaking as her departure.”

For his part, husband Ethan simply said: “I love her… she’s the best thing that has ever happened to me. She helped me turn my life around.”

'My whole life is here'

Speaking to the M.E.N. last week, Erin said she would be devastated if forced to leave.

“My whole life is here and I wouldn’t know what to do with myself if I didn’t have the support system and community that I do here," she said. "This is literally my home.”

Erin made the discovery that her visa had expired in April when she was searching for the documents that proved her right to rent.

“I pulled the document out of a drawer and was like, f**k, it’s expired," she said. "Immediately I panicked. My first thought was, I’ve messed everything up. I was inconsolable, I completely disassociated.”

Since being diagnosed with ADHD as a child, Erin said she has struggled with organisation. “When I got my first biometric residency pass, the administrator at my uni said to me, ‘don’t mess with this, don’t take it out’.

“I was told, just find somewhere safe, and put this away. So that’s essentially what I did. I never checked the date, and life was just happening, and I didn’t have time to think about it.”

“They say I have family in America but it’s just not that simple," she added. "Not only would I be a financial burden, but they wouldn’t want me there. We don’t have that relationship where I can live with them. It wouldn’t be a good situation for me to go back into."

Erin went on: “The bureaucracy of it all is a lot to handle. To tell someone who's made their whole life here, who made a mistake and is now reaping the consequences of my action or my inaction, that they have to leave. But I have been trying to fix it.”

When approached for comment, a Home Office spokesperson said: “It is a longstanding government policy that we do not comment on individual cases.”