Aussie family trying to hang on in UK - BBC

An Australian family living in the Highlands say they are still "hopeful" they will avoid deportation and secure an extension to their stay in the UK.

Kathryn and Gregg Brain have been trying to comply with visa requirements so they and their son Lachlan, seven, can remain in Britain.

The family moved to Scotland in 2011 on Mrs Brain's student visa, but the terms of their stay were later changed.
The Brain family have until midnight on Monday to secure the extension.

For months, Mrs Brain has been seeking a job that meets current visa rules.
Speaking on BBC Radio's Five Live, Mr Brain said they were "still hopeful" an employer would come forward and "pick up the ball".

"Robert Goodwill, the new immigration minister, has shown himself to be quite approachable and solution-orientated and he has said if we have an employer and it's simply needing time to get the paperwork together then he would consider an extension to allow that to occur," he said.

"We came over here on the promise that once Kathryn had finished her studies we'd be able to stay on for two years on a very straightforward ticket - post-study work visa - which was subsequently, retroactively cancelled."

He added: "We've just found out late last night, to add insult to injury, that in fact a post-study work visa has been reintroduced for a few prestigious English universities.

"So the visa we're being told we can't have is now being offered again."

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, along with SNP MPs Angus Robertson and Ian Blackford and MSP Kate Forbes, have been among those calling on the Home Office to allow the family to remain in the UK.

The Home Office has previously granted temporary extensions to their stay.

In May, the Brains were told they could stay until midnight on Monday 1 August.

This is the first of many people begging to stay of part of the Utopia that Sturgeon has created.

cooperman
Nicola, getting involved in a newsworthy story

Had the media in to Holyrood to film and photo her hugging the wee boy.
Kept ruffling his hair and purring like a cat as well.
She'll take any opportunity for publicity.

She died.