A student who faced deportation and losing a place at Oxford University due to uncertainties with his UK immigration status has won his right to indefinite leave to remain in the UK.
Brian White, 21, had his application to become a British citizen by naturalisation visa his adoptive parents rejected initially, leaving him with only limited leave to remain in the UK and subsequently unable to take his place to study chemistry at Oxford.
Following his initial rejection, White continued his GCSE and A-level studies in the UK, receiving four A*s in the latter, but he was unable to attend university due to his lack of eligibility for student finance.
After deferring his place for a year, White submitted his application for indefinite leave to remain in the UK again in early 2017 in the hope that he would be able to claim his Oxford place rather than being deported to Africa.
Thankfully, following a passed Life in the UK test as part of his citizenship application, White had his application accepted and is now able to take his place at Oxford.
Commenting on the case, White’s lawyer Louis MacWilliam said: “Having reviewed Brian’s immigration papers, our view was that Brian should have been granted indefinite leave to remain when he first entered the UK back in January 2013.”
“It is a testament to Brian’s character that he has achieved so much in spite of this problem with his status. This decision goes some way to correcting this injustice and will allow Brian to fulfil his undoubted potential.”