Immigration law is mainly UK-wide, but the route and evidence depend on your nationality, purpose, circumstances and immigration history. Always check the current GOV.UK route.
What can an immigration solicitor or adviser help with?
Immigration advice can cover an application you are planning, a change in your circumstances, or a decision you have already received. The right starting point depends on the specific route and your facts, not simply on the broad label of a work, family or study visa.
A professional can explain the current rules, identify the evidence a route requires, prepare or review an application, correspond with the Home Office where appropriate, and explain any review or appeal rights shown in a decision. They cannot guarantee that an application will succeed.
Common matters in immigration
Visiting, studying or working
Questions about entry clearance, permission to stay, route requirements, dependants and changes of circumstances.
Partners and family members
Applications based on a partner, parent, child or other family relationship, including the evidence the relevant route asks for.
Settlement and long residence
Questions about indefinite leave to remain, continuous residence, absences and the route from temporary permission to settlement.
British citizenship
Eligibility questions, good-character considerations, supporting evidence and the application process after settlement or another qualifying route.
Refusals and immigration decisions
Understanding a decision letter, whether it mentions an appeal or administrative review, and the date by which action may be required.
Asylum and protection
Specialist advice about protection claims, interviews, evidence, support and appeal rights. Urgent or safety-related situations need prompt professional help.
The usual route through the issue
Identify the exact route or decision
Start with the visa category, application type or Home Office decision. Similar-sounding routes can have different eligibility and evidence rules.
Check the current rule and timing
Use the relevant GOV.UK page and read every part of a decision letter. Immigration rules and fees change, and review or appeal rights may have strict time limits.
Build an accurate chronology
Record applications, travel, immigration status and important correspondence in date order. Gaps or inconsistencies are easier to spot when the history is clear.
Agree the professional scope
Confirm whether the adviser will assess eligibility, review evidence, draft representations, submit an application, attend a hearing or handle later correspondence.
What to prepare for a first conversation
You do not need to diagnose the law yourself. A concise, accurate account and the key documents will help a professional understand what needs attention.
Your route and goal
- The application, decision or status question you want help with
- Where you are now and where the application will be made from
- Any known expiry date, hearing date or deadline
Your history
- A simple timeline of previous visas, applications and decisions
- Relevant travel, residence or absence dates
- Any change in family, work, study or sponsorship circumstances
Documents to locate
- Current and previous passports or travel documents
- Home Office letters, emails and decision notices
- Existing evidence linked to the route, kept securely until an adviser confirms how to share it
Questions to ask before you instruct someone
- Are you regulated to give immigration advice, and can I verify your registration?
- Have you handled this particular route or type of decision before?
- What will you assess before advising me to apply or challenge a decision?
- Which parts of the work are included, and what could require an additional fee?
- Who will handle the matter and how will important updates be communicated?
- What should I do if my circumstances or a relevant deadline changes?
This page cannot assess your circumstances, confirm eligibility or tell you what to do. A regulated professional can explain how the law applies to you.
When prompt advice may matter
A decision letter gives you a deadline or says that you may appeal or request an administrative review.
Your permission to stay, travel plans, employment or study may be affected by the timing of an application.
There is a previous refusal, alleged breach, criminal matter or complicated immigration history.
Your question concerns asylum, protection, detention, removal or an immediate safety risk.
Frequently asked questions
Who is allowed to give immigration advice?
GOV.UK says immigration advisers must be registered with the Immigration Advice Authority or belong to an approved professional body. Solicitors can also be checked through their legal regulator.
Can an adviser guarantee a visa or appeal result?
No. A professional can advise, prepare and represent, but the decision is made by the relevant authority or tribunal. Treat a guaranteed outcome as a warning sign.
Can every refusal be appealed?
No. Rights depend on the decision. Read the decision letter carefully because it should explain whether an appeal or administrative review is available and what time limit applies.
Might legal aid be available?
Legal aid is available only for certain problems and subject to eligibility rules. Use the current GOV.UK checker or ask a regulated provider whether your type of matter may qualify.
Should I send my passport or Home Office documents here?
No. Solicitors Cost does not accept enquiries or documents. Only share sensitive material through a secure route confirmed by the regulated professional you instruct.
Official sources and further reading
These links were checked on 15 September 2026. External guidance can change, so read the current page before relying on it.