A LEGENDARY American session musician who has worked with David Bowie and Pink Floyd as well as creating music for countless movies is battling deportation from Scotland.
Percussionist Steve Forman has been passing on his skills to dozens of students at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow but immigration rules mean he has been ordered out of the country because his salary is not high enough.
Pink Floyd guitarist Dave Gilmour yesterday pleaded with the government to let Forman, 68, stay, saying it would be a "tragic loss" if he was forced out.
Forman, who has lived in Scotland for six years and does not claim benefits of any kind, has been teaching music students at the conservatoire for four years.
He has played on albums by artists including Pink Floyd, Bowie and Fleetwood Mac. Screen credits include creating the opening sounds to the Steven Spielberg blockbuster ET, as well as Last of the Mohicans and Pretty Woman.
Forman, originally from Los Angeles, needed to renew his work visa this year but was told by the UK Home Office that his academic salary was not high enough and he needed to be earning in excess of £31,000 a year. He said the Conservatoire offered him a salary for his part-time post which was "about three grand short of what the government" required.
He is now awaiting the outcome of an appeal. If this fails, he will have to leave the country within seven days.
Meanwhile, Forman has been suspended from his post at the Conservatoire because he does not have a work permit, leaving 45 music students without a teacher for their rhythm theory course.
Students have started a petition to try to prevent Forman being deported, getting 700 signatures in 24 hours.
Gilmour has also waded in, saying: "I find it very odd that he is being faced with being sent back to the US when he clearly has so much to offer the next generation.
"His skills and approach are totally his own and as far as I know there is nobody I know of like him teaching rhythm in the UK or even Europe."
Forman said: "I proved I'm solvent. I'm not going to cost you a dime. I just want to keep working.
"I'm teaching people what I know. When I got here for my PhD, Scotland was asking us all to stay about and help teach. Now, it's just 'go away'."
He added: "The UK Border Agency says I have professional ties to the US. All of my ties are to people who are dead or retired.
"I don't want to be retired. I want to empower other people."
Mr Forman's solicitor, Fraser Latta, of Latta Law in Glasgow, said he was "astounded" by the decision. He said: "There appears to be very little public interest in removing this person. This is someone who has always abided by all immigration requirements and has never been a problem. He is quite clearly a valuable and talented person."
A spokesman for RCS (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland) said: "Steve Forman is a well-respected teacher and an expert in his area.
"We have been very supportive of Steve. We have done our utmost to support him through this for some time now. The UK Border Agency made a decision on his eligibility to stay in the UK and we have to abide by that."
The Scottish Government called on the Home Office to reconsider.
A Home Office spokesman said: "All visa applications are considered on their individual merits and in line with the immigration rules. Dr Forman's application was refused because he could not demonstrate he met the requirements for leave to remain.
"He has appealed this decision and it would therefore be inappropriate to comment further."
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