Home Office grants Australian family right to stay in UK after long visa fight

An Australian family who were about to be deported has won permission to stay in the UK after a high profile campaign.

Kathryn Brain had brought her husband Gregg and son to Dingwall in the Highlands in 2011 on a student visa but they were caught up in red tape problems when the government cancelled the post-study work visa scheme in 2012.

The couple, whose son Lachlan is Gaelic speaking, had tried to qualify for a new visa but had been refused the right to work despite being offered jobs in the Highlands.

They had to apply for a tier 2 visa which applies to people from outside the European Economic Area who have already been offered a skilled job in the UK.

However the visa scheme's more stringent rules made it harder for the family to meet the criteria.

But now Kathryn Brain has secured a job that meets visa regulations, having been offered work as a museum curator and historian with Macdonald Hotels in Aviemore.

She told BBC Scotland: "I just can't describe how I feel. It's just been seven months now we've been without work and struggling and fighting through this whole process. We've got a brilliant employer on board who already has a sponsorship licence in place.

"They had to get a certificate of sponsorship for this particular position but the position itself meets all the criteria for the Home Office."

A Home Office spokesperson said that if a suitable job offer was received an application to remain in the UK would be considered.

"We gave them a number of extensions on an exceptional basis to allow them to try to secure a job that would allow them to meet the Immigration Rules."