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Immigration solicitors, whilst not a requirement, can play a crucial role in your visa application.
Not only can they provide you with expert guidance, you can also ask them any questions you may have regarding the process, so as to ease your concerns.
You can apply for your visa without the help of one, but you may struggle with the process. There is a chance you might miss something out of your application that you just may not have known about, or you just might not be able to get everything ready in time.
At our firm, we have several immigration experts who can assist you with your visa application, and other immigration services.
Whether you want to work in the UK or move to the UK, we will list all the ways in which an immigration solicitor can help you with your application.
Immigration solicitor’s law expertise
As expected, immigration solicitors are knowledgeable in law. Different aspects of the law are always changing, and we have many blogs about all the different Statement of Changes that have been released modifying the rules and entry requirements.
For example, the salary requirement for Spouse Visas recently increased to £29,000 a year, and will be increased again later in 2024, and then a final time in 2025.
Immigration law changes do not often appear in large news outlets unless it is a big change. As a result, you may not be aware of a lot of the smaller changes that could nonetheless impact your visa application. However, our law team is always up to date with statements released by the Government, and any immigration rule updates.
Changes to the rules can impact your eligibility for different types of visas. Immigration solicitors can help you navigate the visa application process, and ensure that your application has the highest chance of being accepted as possible.
Additionally, there may be legal terms involved that you may not understand, especially if you are not a native English speaker. A legal expert will be able to help you understand what the terms mean.
Visa guidance
Related to the previous section, immigration solicitors can use their knowledge of immigration rules to provide you with visa guidance. There are many different types of visas, with many different requirements. Some visas are also not as well-known as others.
Depending on your particular circumstances, there could be different visas that are better for you to apply for over others. You may even have a particular visa in mind that you want to apply for, but it is not actually the correct visa for your situation.
To maximise your chances of success, our immigration experts can assist you with seeing what visa is best for you. You just need to provide them with all of the relevant information for them to do so.
If you try to self-assess what visa you think you should apply for, you may end up applying for the wrong visa, and you will receive a rejection. This can happen particularly if your circumstances are complex; for example, if you are a dependant applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain. Getting the advice of our immigration solicitors will mean you avoid many of these issues.
Time and peace of mind
The visa application process can be time consuming and stressful, particularly if you are doing it all by yourself.
However, with an immigration solicitor by your side, you will have more free time, and confidence that your case is in professional hands. They can manage many of the more difficult aspects for you, and deal with the large amounts of paperwork that will be required.
You will also get peace of mind from the fact you will always have someone there to answer your questions, and provide expert guidance.
Tackling your application alone may cost you less money, but it will cost you your time and cause you stress.
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Avoiding fake immigration solicitors and scams
On social media and throughout different parts of the internet, there are many people offering immigration advice. A lot of these people are not legitimate immigration solicitors, and may have no relevant qualifications at all.
Some of these illegitimate immigration advisers are scammers. They can be either based in the UK or elsewhere, and will lure you in with promises of a visa to give away. One common scam is related to Skilled Worker Visas.
People will offer fake jobs, and may even ask you to cover fees other than your own visa application fees, such as Sponsor Licence fees. At times, you may end up in the UK to find out that the job you were offered was not real, leaving you stranded with no way to earn money.
Regardless of the type of scam, their ultimate aim is to get you to part with your money with their fake services.
That is why it is important to find a legitimate immigration solicitor. We have a guide to finding an immigration adviser and avoiding scams if you would like more information. One simple way to check if a solicitor is legitimate is by checking the regulatory information on their website. They should be registered with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA); you can find our SRA number at the bottom of our website.
The consultation process
There are a number of steps involved in the consultation process. They will vary based on who you use, but we shall take you through the consultation process you can expect if you use our services.
Step one – the initial consultation
First, you will need to book an initial consultation. It is free, and will last 10 minutes. During this, you will talk to one of our team members about your issues. This step essentially acts as a screening call.
The team member you talk to will determine whether it is possible for us to help you or not. If they decide that they can, then you will move onto the next step.
Step two – a longer consultation
Next, you will be able to book a longer, paid consultation that lasts either 30 minutes, or an hour. The length of time is up to you.
A 30 minute consultation costs £200, whilst the hour long consultation costs £350. Your consultation will likely take place over Microsoft Teams.
During this consultation, you will be provided with advice and guidance on your visa application, or other immigration related issue.
Our adviser will also provide you with the next steps, which will be unique to your situation. They will provide you with legal fees depending on what you need them to do.
Step three – go through the application process
This step will vary heavily depending on what you are applying for. Regardless, you will likely have to use the UK Government’s website to apply, pay visa fees, and provide specific documents that you will need to get in order.
No matter what you are applying for, our immigration solicitors will assist you throughout the whole process.
We have a webpage if you would like more information on what to expect during your consultation.
How we can help
As we have mentioned throughout the guide, our immigration law team can help you with applying for visas, naturalisation, and other immigration statuses such as Indefinite Leave to Remain.
We have a guide that encompasses every type of application you can make, alongside the fees you will need to pay to the Home Office when you apply. In addition to this, you can visit our own fees page to see what we can assist you with, and how much you will need to pay for our expert services.
Finally, you can visit our visa library to see many of the different types of visas that we can assist you with applying for.
Get in touch with us today to arrange your free consultation and see how we can help you with your immigration application.
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Ready for assistance?
If you have any questions, or want to book an appointment with one of our legal experts, contact Woodcock Law today. Call us on +44 (0)20 7712 1705 or email info@woodcocklaw.co.uk.
