Canadian teacher denied her visa for a third and final time
A CANADIAN who was the only applicant for a job teaching Gaelic at Bunessan Primary School has had her visa rejected for the third time by the Home Office, Argyll’s ‘deeply disappointed’ MSP has reported.
Qualified teacher Sìne Halfpenny from Antigonish in Nova Scotia, who studied at Sabhal Mór Ostaig on Skye, applied for the post at the Ross of Mull’s new Gaelic unit last June and was offered the job subject to her visa application.
Bunessan Primary School, which educates 38 pupils, provides English and Gaelicmedium education, following a request by the Ross of Mull and Iona Comann nam Pàrant group in 2016. Three families then enrolled three P1 pupils to start in summer 2017, with another child due to start in 2018. But parents learned the Home Office refused Ms Halfpenny’s first application because ‘she did not meet the salary requirements’.
Argyll and Bute Council then applied for a Tier 2 Sponsorship Licence, to permit it ‘to sponsor Sìne for up to five years or until her salary was sufficient for her to live and work here without becoming a burden on the state’.
However, this was also rejected. A Home Office spokesperson explained: ‘Her sponsor’s application, for a restricted certificate of sponsorship, was rejected as it failed to meet the required points.’
The council re-applied, but said it would re-advertise the post if unsuccessful. Last week Argyll and Bute MSP Michael Russell expressed his ‘deep disappointment’ that Ms Halfpenny’s application has been declined for a third time.
Mr Russell said: ‘This ridiculous decision by the UK government shows their nonsensical position on immigration. There is literally no one else to take this job and the candidate who has been successful is desperately keen to teach on Mull.
‘Migration based upon an artificial cap on numbers is a disgraceful approach which can only damage Scotland. The price for this UK government folly is being paid by the parents and children of Bunessan. The parents of Bunessan have put in a lot of hard work to get a Gaelic unit established and to find the final blockage in getting a dedicated teacher required is London Tory obsession with keeping migration numbers down is outrageous and ridiculous.
‘I have asked the Scottish Government to support the council in redoubling its efforts to get this sorted for the good of the children and community on Mull.’
On Monday, Argyll and Bute Council re-advertised the fulltime post.
A Home Office spokesperson said: ‘Previously, Ms Halfpenny’s visa was refused as she did not submit a Certificate of Sponsorship. Her sponsor’s application, for a restricted Certificate of Sponsorship, was refused as it failed to meet the required points.’