In this day and age information can be found everywhere. But can it be interpreted correctly by someone who only applied for their own visa? What if something goes wrong with your application from advice shared on social media? You can end up getting barred from entering the UK for 10 years, with no chance of relocating out of your country. Using a legal advisor will mean you are covered under their legal indemnity insurance if something goes wrong. You don’t have that security if you get advice from a Facebook friend.
You may ask yourself whether it is worth hiring an immigration lawyer to represent you in your immigration matters. There are several factors to consider such as the complexity of your case and the potential consequences of not getting it right. An OISC registered company will have to ensure that their advisors are kept up to date with any new policy that is being released under the immigration and citizenship legislation.
Immigration is one of the most important decisions one makes in life and you would want to ensure that you are in the hands of professional and reliable people who will not leave your application to chance.
Check if the immigration solicitors have a strong record of success, how long have they been known and what clients say about them. Do they offer professional, efficient and reliable service? Are they qualified and registered with the appropriate regulating body? What is their reputation based on? Are you as important to them, as they are to you when your immigration affairs are in their hands?
You may be confused by the variety of legal qualifications in the UK. There are solicitors regulated by the Solicitors Regulating Authority, Barristers regulated by the Bar Council and there are other immigration professionals regulated by the Office of Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC). Solicitor firms usually undertake a wide scope of legal work and it is important to check if your solicitor actually specialises in immigration. Immigration law is extremely complex and is getting more and more complex by the hour. Solicitors doing a variety of work may not be fully up to date with the ever-changing immigration rules so our advice is to consider instructing someone who is fully devoted to immigration, and not splitting their time between other legal advice areas.
If you believe that your application should be straightforward but you wish to have confidence in the outcome, you can book a document checking service which is normally less than half the price of full legal representation.
