Japanese wife of British man is banned from returning to UK despite them being married for 18 years Machiko Oyama, 56, has been married to William Judge, 70, for 18 years She returned to Japan in 2005 to care for her terminally ill mother Denied re-entry to Britain because she was abroad longer than two years Mr Judge must now fight his wife's case at immigration tribunal The Japanese wife of a retired British author has been banned from returning to the UK after leaving the country to care for her dying mother. Machiko Oyama, 56, a former teacher, has been married to William Judge, 70, for 18 years and lived with him in a £1million London flat. But she has been denied permission to re-enter Britain after her mother's death because she had been abroad for longer than the two years permitted. Dispute: William Judge and his Japanese wife Machiko Oyama. She had to return to Japan when her mother was diagnosed with a brain tumour but has been denied the right to return to the UK Ms Oyama was given leave to remain in the UK two years ago after marrying Mr Judge in 1995, according to the Evening Standard. She left Britain to return to Japan ten years later to care for her mother after she was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour. Her mother died that year, as well as two of her aunts. Ms Oyama applied to return to the UK in February but was denied permission on the grounds that she had been abroad longer than the permitted two years under immigration rules. The couple had assumed a section of the legislation which makes an exception for those who maintain a strong connection to Britain would apply to them as a married couple. But now Mr Judge faces going before an immigration tribunal to argue for his wife to be allowed into the country - a situation he describes as 'ludicrous,' the Standard reports. Denied: Mr Oyama was refused a re-entry visa on the grounds that she had been outside the UK for more than two years. The UK Border Agency said it does not comment on individual cases He said the immigration rules were 'draconian' and that they could even infringe the couple's human rights. Together with their long marriage, Mr Judge says evidence he will use of their 'strong connection' will include his regular trips to Japan to see her, their daily phone calls and the property she owns in London - on which she pays council tax. Ms Oyama told the Standard her husband stayed at her mother's home for two to three months on each visit to Japan. A Border Agency spokesman told the Standard it does not comment on individual cases but that each case would be dealt with on an individual basis.