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| Australian family fighting deportation get flurry of job offers | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Australian family ordered to leave the UK after failing to find the right job are pursuing at least two potential leads after a flurry of employment offers. | The Australian family ordered to leave the UK after failing to find the right job are pursuing at least two potential leads after a flurry of employment offers. |
| Gregg and Kathryn Brain, from Brisbane, say they have had a flood of enquiries and offers after the Home Office told them late on Tuesday it had begun the deportation process because they had failed to meet strict work visa criteria. | Gregg and Kathryn Brain, from Brisbane, say they have had a flood of enquiries and offers after the Home Office told them late on Tuesday it had begun the deportation process because they had failed to meet strict work visa criteria. |
| Gregg Brain said on Thursday that many of the offers, such as bar work in a nearby pub, would never meet the criteria, but two were strong enough to give them hope. He said the firmest lead so far was from a major Scottish company. | Gregg Brain said on Thursday that many of the offers, such as bar work in a nearby pub, would never meet the criteria, but two were strong enough to give them hope. He said the firmest lead so far was from a major Scottish company. |
| He said the couple and their seven-year-old son Lachlan were now living on charity and help from friends. They hope the Home Office will suspend the deportation process if a firm offer meets the tier-two visa requirements. | He said the couple and their seven-year-old son Lachlan were now living on charity and help from friends. They hope the Home Office will suspend the deportation process if a firm offer meets the tier-two visa requirements. |
| The job would need to pay at least £20,400 and involve a graduate level post for Kathryn, who obtained a degree in Scottish history from the University of the Highlands and Islands last year. | The job would need to pay at least £20,400 and involve a graduate level post for Kathryn, who obtained a degree in Scottish history from the University of the Highlands and Islands last year. |
| The Brains are based in Dingwall in the Scottish Highlands, further reducing their options. | The Brains are based in Dingwall in the Scottish Highlands, further reducing their options. |
| “As of this morning, there have been about 15 or 20 job offers we’ve received since Monday,” he said. “These are wonderful and we really appreciate that people are willing to throw these at us.” | “As of this morning, there have been about 15 or 20 job offers we’ve received since Monday,” he said. “These are wonderful and we really appreciate that people are willing to throw these at us.” |
| He said, however, that the family were still very anxious to hear from other potential employers. | He said, however, that the family were still very anxious to hear from other potential employers. |
| Ian Blackford, their MP, said that UK immigration minister Robert Goodwill had indicated to the Scottish external affairs minister Fiona Hyslop that the Home Office would “stop the clock” if a compliant application was made. | Ian Blackford, their MP, said that UK immigration minister Robert Goodwill had indicated to the Scottish external affairs minister Fiona Hyslop that the Home Office would “stop the clock” if a compliant application was made. |
| Blackford, the MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber, said a prospective employer for Kathryn Brain would also need to register with the Home Office as a tier-two sponsor and was likely to need expert legal advice on the process. | Blackford, the MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber, said a prospective employer for Kathryn Brain would also need to register with the Home Office as a tier-two sponsor and was likely to need expert legal advice on the process. |
| “We have to wait and see whether they do actually turn into job offers,” Blackford said. “All the media over the last 24 hours has resulted in a number of people coming forward, which is great, but I want to be a wee bit cautious because it’s about satisfying the criteria for a tier two, so there’s a process to go through. | “We have to wait and see whether they do actually turn into job offers,” Blackford said. “All the media over the last 24 hours has resulted in a number of people coming forward, which is great, but I want to be a wee bit cautious because it’s about satisfying the criteria for a tier two, so there’s a process to go through. |
| “It has to be a graduate level job. In rural parts of the Highlands, these things aren’t massively common.” | “It has to be a graduate level job. In rural parts of the Highlands, these things aren’t massively common.” |
| The Brains arrived in Dingwall in June 2011 on a post-study work visa linked to Kathryn’s degree course, which would have allowed her two years to find a full-time job in the UK after graduating. | The Brains arrived in Dingwall in June 2011 on a post-study work visa linked to Kathryn’s degree course, which would have allowed her two years to find a full-time job in the UK after graduating. |
| That visa was granted in 2010. The Brains insist they did not discover until 2012 that the scheme had been scrapped, and accuse ministers of acting unfairly by effectively making it retrospective. | That visa was granted in 2010. The Brains insist they did not discover until 2012 that the scheme had been scrapped, and accuse ministers of acting unfairly by effectively making it retrospective. |
| The Home Office said it had announced it was to scrap the visa system in question in March 2011, three months before the Brains emigrated, and that ministers had indicated they planned to do so in December 2010 because too many applicants were abusing it. | The Home Office said it had announced it was to scrap the visa system in question in March 2011, three months before the Brains emigrated, and that ministers had indicated they planned to do so in December 2010 because too many applicants were abusing it. |
| Blackford said he believed the Home Office was keen to see the case, which has attracted widespread support including from Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, resolved without further controversy. “The Home Office would prefer this problem to go away,” he said. | Blackford said he believed the Home Office was keen to see the case, which has attracted widespread support including from Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, resolved without further controversy. “The Home Office would prefer this problem to go away,” he said. |
| Goodwill told the Brains on Tuesday that officials from the family returns unit of the Home Office’s immigration enforcement department would contact them this week to organise a voluntary departure to Australia. | Goodwill told the Brains on Tuesday that officials from the family returns unit of the Home Office’s immigration enforcement department would contact them this week to organise a voluntary departure to Australia. |
| The letter did not fix a deadline by which the family had to leave, but Goodwill said the Brains had had significant time to find work since Kathryn degree course ended. They had been given two extensions to the grace period and there were no exceptional reasons which justified a third extension, nor was there any breach of faith by the Home Office. | The letter did not fix a deadline by which the family had to leave, but Goodwill said the Brains had had significant time to find work since Kathryn degree course ended. They had been given two extensions to the grace period and there were no exceptional reasons which justified a third extension, nor was there any breach of faith by the Home Office. |
| Goodwill added: “Although the family have said they were unaware of the announcement until 2012, they have still had a number of years in which to search and apply for jobs which would qualify under tier two.” The visa given to the Brains “never conferred a longterm right to stay in the UK”, he said. | Goodwill added: “Although the family have said they were unaware of the announcement until 2012, they have still had a number of years in which to search and apply for jobs which would qualify under tier two.” The visa given to the Brains “never conferred a longterm right to stay in the UK”, he said. |