06/07/2026
To Our Friends, Family, and Artistic Colleagues,
We hope you are well. We artists, Simone Seales (They/Them) and Christian Noelle Charles (She/Her) are reaching out to share a major milestone and to ask for a huge favour.
As two Black American artists, we are both approaching major anniversaries of living and working in Scotland: 5 years for Simone and 10 years for Christian (CC). Over the years, we have grown so much creatively and fallen completely in love with this country. We want to ensure Scotland can become a permanent base and second home. This was the country that has raised us to make us the artists we have become today.
This August, we both plan to submit our Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) settlement applications. While we have saved as much as we could through our freelance artistic work over the last couple of months, we are asking you—the community we love so dearly to help give us the final push.
What we are raising: Our total goal is £6200 which we will split evenly between us.
Here’s the breakdown:
It costs £3,226 per person for the Indefinite Leave To Remain application.
Additionally, it costs £1,000 to fast-track the application and get a response in 1 day rather than wait 6 months. We are choosing to do this because, as freelance artists, we are grateful to have work that takes us abroad and would need to be able to travel outside of the UK in Autumn 2026.
We will also be consulting an immigration lawyer to assist with finalising the application, to ensure that our application process goes smoothly. We’re anticipating another £500 each.
This brings the total to £4,726 per person.
We know that times are financially difficult for many right now, and we do not make this request lightly.
If you have the space to support us, we would be truly grateful.
As two Americans, we want to sustain our relationship with Scotland and its wonderful artistic community. You are the community that raised us and helped us become the artists we never thought we could be. We cannot thank you enough for that. We want to cement what was once a dream into a stable reality, and continue contributing unforgettable artistic moments to the place we call home.
Please know that we deeply appreciate any contribution, no matter the size.
With immense gratitude,
Simone Seales & Christian Noelle Charles
To Our Friends, Family, and Artistic Colleagues, We hope … Christian Noelle Charles needs your support for Simone Seales and Christian Noelle Charles: ILR Visa
