The family of a nine-year-old chess prodigy is fighting a visa battle to remain in the UK so their child, dubbed as the country’s "greatest chess prospect in a generation" can continue his pursuit of becoming the country’s first world champion.
Originally from Bengaluru in India, Royal Singh has been living in London with his parents since the age of three.
The chess champion who is ranked number four in the world in his age group has now been asked to leave the UK by September 10 when his father Jitnedra Singh’s visa expires.
Mr Singh works as an IT project manager with India’s Tata Group at their UK office.
Chess prodigy Shreyas Royal with his parents Jitendra and Anju Singh Source: Facebook
The only prospect that can save him from leaving the country is if his father manages to renew the visa which is only possible if he starts earning more than £120,000 GBP a year (AUD $207,000), which Mr Singh says is unlikely to happen.
The disheartened parents took their appeal to the Home Office citing that Royal is a national asset, but received a letter saying that while the nine-year-old showed “immense promise” it did not mean he could remain in the country.
Two members of Parliament have written a joint letter to the Home Office, urging them to reconsider their decision.
Leeds West MP Rachel Reeves and Greenwich and Woolwich MP Matthew Pennycook wrote that “If Shreyas Royal is forced to leave the UK and return to India, the country will lose an exceptional talent”.
But even their appeals have so far failed to have any impact on the Home Office which stated that, "Every visa case is assessed on its own merits in line with immigration rules."
The story of Royal’s visa status has left netizens both in the UK and India livid, many of whom have come out in the child prodigy’s defence, raising questions over the “fairness” of British Immigration laws.
Royal only started playing chess four years ago but has already surpassed many teenagers who were at least a decade older than him in the game that requires impeccable skills and an ability to think several moves ahead.
Chess prodigy Shreyas Royal posing with his trophies and medals Source: Facebook
