LISTEN: Inverness guest house owners heartened by support
Russell & Ellen Felber play the waiting game for news following deportation threat days before Christmas
It was a difficult festive period for Russell and Ellen Felber having received notice just before Christmas that they had 30 days to leave the country - despite meeting the terms for a UK visa.
The couple now run the Torridon Guest House in Inverness City Centre following their move from America in 2011.
Neighbours and friends have been speaking out against the news, joined by MP Drew Hendry and Bishop Mark Strange, and now a petition has seen almost 1400 signatories putting their support to their cause.
Russell Felber said: "We searched all the rules before we came over here, it wasn't just a case of "hey let's see if we can do this", we researched everything and we knew what we had to do"
"People have taken round the petition, put it up in shops, so we can get out the message - what's going on here"
Russell explains how he and his wife 'celebrated' Christmas with the threat of deportation hanging over them:
Russell says the process has been mentally gruelling for both him and his wife:
"It's tough, it goes right into your mind when you wake up, and it gets a little better when you have guests staying which takes your mind off things, but yeah it's been tough, but in the evening when you're sat back down in front of the TV it's all you can think of - you just don't know what's going on"
"You've just got to keep going, both from a business and personal level"
"We haven't given up, my wife's been really upset over the whole situation, but no we haven't given up hope"
"We've had good support from the Zielsdorf family and the Brain family which has been great"