A French couple who have lived in Australia for more than 15 years say they are "gutted" after being told they had two weeks to leave the country.

Key points: Mr Pigot and Ms Mendy say they are good citizens

Mr Pigot and Ms Mendy say they are good citizens However, they claim to have exhausted all avenues to remain in Australia

However, they claim to have exhausted all avenues to remain in Australia The couple have been told to leave the country by October 1

Chef Damien Pigot and his partner Sandrine Mendy have run a cafe at Tweed Heads for the past five years, and, according to their friends, have become part of the area's "culinary fabric".

Mr Pigot had hoped the business would bolster his application for permanent residency.

He sought advice from migration lawyer Kathy Bateman about three years ago, and she was initially optimistic.

"Where there is a legally, viably operating Australian business located in a regional area that has a genuine need for an occupation … essentially there is no reason why an application shouldn't be successful," she said.

"[But] there has to be a benefit to Australia, and that usually means employment for Australians.

"I know that Damien made several attempts to recruit locally within the Aboriginal community as well as local schools and children to do traineeships.

"But it just didn't work out, and anyone who is in small business knows that it's tough."

The couple have now been told to leave Australia by October 1.

'They are part of the community'

Mr Pigot said he made an appeal to the Department of Home Affairs requesting ministerial intervention, but it was rejected.

"The department didn't even refer my request to the Minister, so he didn't get to read it, because we don't meet the guidelines," he said.

A spokesperson from the Department of Home Affairs said it would not comment on individual cases for privacy reasons.

It said non-citizens who did not hold a valid visa and who had exhausted all avenues to remain in Australia were expected to depart.

Mr Pigot said he could not afford to spend up to $15,000 on a visa.

"We live like many people you know, we pay our bills, we go and enjoy our life and we work and that's it," he said.

"But they only give you two weeks to organise your travel after 15 years in a country and running a business for five years. We feel lost, we feel gutted.

"On the news they always talk about migration and what makes a good migrant — we speak English and we are part of the community, we know the history of Australia, we know the value of Australia and we accept it."

Alice Belon shows off some of the cafe's fresh produce. ( ABC News: Donna Harper )

Alice Belon is a casual staff member and a regular customer at the cafe.

She said she was devastated by the prospect of seeing her friends forced to move overseas.

"They are part of the community now, all the local shop [owners] come here and take their lunch," Ms Belon said.

The couple's friend Paris Searson has been rallying support for the pair.

"They've really persevered over many years to grow the business and have really interested themselves in the local community and become a part of the culinary fabric of the Tweed, which I know the area is trying to become renowned for," she said.