Home Office reverses decision to deny father-to-be entry to UK after Guardian story

Elen Soghomonyan and Dmitri Piliposyan. The Home Office had denied Piliposyan entry to the UK after determining he had not achieved sufficient proficiency in English. Photograph: supplied

A couple who faced being apart for the birth of their first child due to Labour’s planned immigration changes are celebrating after a Home Office U-turn a day after the Guardian reported the story.

Elen Soghomonyan, 23, and her Armenian husband, Dmitri Piliposyan, 25, are expecting a baby this year. Soghomonyan visits her husband every couple of months in Armenia. The Home Office has refused Piliposyan permission to enter the UK because officials have determined he has not achieved sufficient proficiency in English. He meets other government entry requirements relating to income and the couple’s relationship.