An Australian family who successfully fought to stay in Scotland after their immigration status expired have described their "horrific" experience with the Home Office.

Gregg Brain, who lives in Dingwall in the Highlands with his wife Kathryn and son Lachlan, broke down when sharing his story on stage at the SNP conference in Glasgow.

He thanked SNP MPs Ian Blackford and Alex Salmond for their campaigning on behalf of the family to stay in the country.

Mr Brain said his family will never recover financially from the dispute.

He told the conference: "We have had a victory but the cost has been horrific.

"We invested the proceeds from our life in Australia, about £150,000, to come here to fund Kathryn's university degree and to live here as a single-income student family.

"We have lost over a year's income between us, have debt of about £30,000 and that's after all the help we have had from people - some of whom I am sure are in this room today."

Mr Brain was wearing a badge with a large 'F' on a gold background in response to the home secretary's proposal to publish the proportion of foreigners who work at individual UK companies.

He also expressed his fears about his family's future in Scotland as their new visa lasts just 12 months.

Mr Brain said: "That means we are going to be doing this again this time next year. It will be a somewhat more straightforward process, if straight forward can be applied to any dealings with the Home Office.

"There'll be about £6000 in Home Office fees and immigration health surcharges, which will have to paid upfront in addition to the legal costs the cost of preparing those paperwork."

Mr Brain said his family have no access to public funds, mortgages, tax credits and are not able to get a phone contract due to their visa status.

He told conference his son wants to have a pet but they cannot give him one as they do not know where they will be in a year's time.

The family said their experience is the norm for immigrant student families in Britain.

Mr Brain said: "I would ask you to remember we are perfectly ordinary. This what living as a student family in the UK looks like.

"It's the huge fees, the uncertainty of not knowing if a perfect visa application will be accepted. Not knowing if the visa will be even valid when you get there.

"This is the reality of a long-term relationship with the Home Office. No one should have to live like this".

He thanked the country for welcoming his family with "open arms" and urged people to welcome future foreign students to Scotland.