Decent UK immigration solicitors

[Somewhatfoolish]

Asking for a friend - can anyone recommend decent UK immigration solicitors?

[carboy2017]

Somewhatfoolish said:

Asking for a friend - can anyone recommend decent UK immigration solicitors?

there are many so cannot pin point one but i must warn you they are like vultures and and charge a lot and yet make silly mistakes on the paperwork which can cost clients a refusal

[Somewhatfoolish]

carboy2017 said:

Somewhatfoolish said:

Asking for a friend - can anyone recommend decent UK immigration solicitors?

there are many so cannot pin point one but i must warn you they are like vultures and and charge a lot and yet make silly mistakes on the paperwork which can cost clients a refusal

That's exactly what my friend is concerned about. Seems to attract shysters. Many of whom clearly aren't even solicitors.

[SlackBladder]

What's the country of origin?

[RedWhiteMonkey]

Is this related to hanging off the bottom of a Nissan Navarro?

[parabolica]

I've used Child & Child and Definitive Immigration (both London based) previously, although I don't know what their rates are for private cases; we used them for commercial/business work.

[mac96]

Somewhatfoolish said:

carboy2017 said:

Somewhatfoolish said:

Asking for a friend - can anyone recommend decent UK immigration solicitors?

there are many so cannot pin point one but i must warn you they are like vultures and and charge a lot and yet make silly mistakes on the paperwork which can cost clients a refusal

That's exactly what my friend is concerned about. Seems to attract shysters. Many of whom clearly aren't even solicitors.

FWIW my advice would be to find out as much as possible about the process, and how appeals work, before consulting a solicitor. This to protect against the a different brand of shyster- the one who makes promises that are, to be charitable, unlikely to be possible to fulfil, in order to extract fees. Such as complete invention of appeals processes.

I'd be tempted to try to find an immigration specialist working within a larger more general practice which will impose standards, but perhaps that's rare.

Whole thing is a nightmare. In my brief encounter with an immigration case I even came across allegations (no idea if true) that individuals within the system were susceptible to bribes to progress cases. This is more than 10 years ago now, but I don't imagine things have improved.

[designforlife]

The last one we used was pretty useless and cost a fortune so i won't pass you those details!

We've actually decided to go without for the upcoming spouse visa application.

[cmaguire]

I went to CAB to query the process recently. Ultimately what they have is pretty much what the Gov.uk website has on it.

Regarding the 'immigration specialist' the conclusion was to contact the Law Society for information.

[Somewhatfoolish]

SlackBladder said:

What's the country of origin?

Zambia

[captain_cynic]

Somewhatfoolish said:

Asking for a friend - can anyone recommend decent UK immigration solicitors?

Immi is a complex thing, it would help if we knew what kind of visa your friend has or wants to get (I.E. Tier 2, business, Ancestry).

[juice]

We used these guys for a Tier 2 ICT (and extension)

https://cvimmigration.net/

Completely painless from our point of view. Regular updates and they handled all the paperwork. I'd recommend them.

[dazzalse]

Would not bother engaging a solicitor and just go the direct access route for an immigration barrister, recommendation below

https://bmcfamilylaw.co.uk

[Somewhatfoolish]

captain_cynic said:

Somewhatfoolish said:

Asking for a friend - can anyone recommend decent UK immigration solicitors?

Immi is a complex thing, it would help if we knew what kind of visa your friend has or wants to get (I.E. Tier 2, business, Ancestry).

It's not my friend who needs a visa (he is a UK citizen by birth) - he has met a Zambian here on a family visit visa and before fully falling in wuv and all that jazz wants to see if there is any practical possibility the relationship can endure.

My own reading is it's vanishingly unlikely (playing by the rules) unless he's daft enough to knock her up or get married, but...

[theboss]

There isn’t much you can do unless the Zambian partner can qualify for work sponsorship, a student visa or investment (£200k minimum ISTR).

It’s basically get married and try for spouse visa, or string out a long distance relationship and see if you can get another visitor visa in the future (whilst disclosing your relationship and intentions).

I’m in a similar dilemna.

[cmaguire]

Somewhatfoolish said:

It's not my friend who needs a visa (he is a UK citizen by birth) - he has met a Zambian here on a family visit visa and before fully falling in wuv and all that jazz wants to see if there is any practical possibility the relationship can endure.

My own reading is it's vanishingly unlikely (playing by the rules) unless he's daft enough to knock her up or get married, but...

My own experience leads me to believe that 'getting to know somebody' before committing doesn't work in the visa world, which appears to favour shotgun weddings.

[anonymous-user]

Paul Simon and Co in London are excellent in all ways. PM me about them.

[designforlife]

A spouse or fiancee visa will be the surest route depending on her history. Unless she wants to come in via a tier 4 and study. Any sort of work visa will depend on her skills and sponsorship options.

Without knowing more of the particulars it's a little hard to advise any more.

My soon to be wife and I have fed thousands of pounds into the UK govt's visa system, and shortly have to fork another £2600 out for a spouse visa, so I can tell you this, they don't make it easy these days.

Edited by designforlife on Tuesday 19th June 08:34

[captain_cynic]

designforlife said:

A spouse or fiancee visa will be the surest route depending on her history. Unless she wants to come in via a tier 4 and study. Any sort of work visa will depend on her skills and sponsorship options.

Without knowing more of the particulars it's a little hard to advise any more.

My soon to be wife and I have fed thousands of pounds into the UK govt's visa system, and shortly have to fork another £2600 out for a spouse visa, so I can tell you this, they don't make it easy these days.

Edited by designforlife on Tuesday 19th June 08:34

The easiest way would be if she has a parent or grandparent born in the UK, Zambia should be eligible for an Ancestry visa being a former British colony and member of the Commonwealth but that's only if she has a UK born ancestor (incl. the Rep of Ireland if born before 1916).

Apart from that, you're looking at the points based route, Tier 2 for skilled workers, Tier 3 for unskilled workers on a temp basis (needed to fill an employment gap) or Tier 4 as mentioned above. Partner visas (formerly spousal) require the applicant to demonstrate that relationship that has gone on for a while.

[designforlife]

relationship duration only applies if you are unmarried...it's 2 years afaik.

You must be able to prove one of the following:

- you’re in a civil partnership or marriage that’s recognised in the UK
- you’ve been living together in a relationship for at least 2 years when you apply
- you are a fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner and will marry or enter into a civil partnership in the UK within 6 months of arriving